Fox's Claw and Edo Tensei
by Swirling Fishcake
Summary: Naruto brought up away from the hostility against being a jinchuuriki is raised into the genius he truly was and in the chuunin exams the suna and oto invasion leads to the Resurrection of Konoha's Yellow Flash and The Bloody Habanero. First fanfic
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Raised By Foxes

**Please do not be offended if you find similar parts to your stories because it either means it's a coincidence or you've inspired me and if you did you should feel proud **** so thanks and some of these chapters will be done by Jiraiya's lost student so thanks to you as well.**

Sorry people first fanfic and for all those who have good Naruto Knowledge please skip the first chapter the rest of this will be better and don't worry Naruto won't be an idiot who goes chasing after Sakura either please comment cos I probably won't bother continue if I don't get any. Naruto will be treated better in this fanfic and he will graduate early but still be part of the Konoha eleven. In the mission to the wave arc instead of killing Zabuza and Haku they will form the Village Hidden in the Waves. In the Chuunin Exams arc the Yondaime will be resurrected for good along with Kushina. And I will leave you to read and find out the rest. I answer reviews before the chapters.

In the aftermath of the Kyuubi's attack the village was a mass of flames licking at the rubble that were once buildings, a newborn child lay on the Eight Trigrams Sealing Altar. Next to the infant was curled a tiny fox in the midst of all the destruction of the burning village. In the distance frantic stampeding of feet was approaching the corpse of the Yondiame and his wife lying still and bloodied before the altar. Sarutobi beheld this sight with an ache in his chest but he turned to the Altar it was empty. No sign of the child which was to be the new vessel of the Kyuubi he felt he had already failed his successor. The sealing was a two part seal so if someone wanted to obtain the Kyuubi they would need both the child and the fox to get him. He looked back to the village he had led. And rushed back to the smouldering destruction they called home.

Two Years Later…

A young blonde peered out from the trunk of the tree which had become his home. It was hollow now his fox: Tsuki-Chan had dug the insides out. The tree was carved delicately images of flowers and animals adorning the walls with the paint almost making it seem alive. The staircase spiralled down to the base of the tree. The Boy was Uzumaki Naruto he had been living in Konoha's training area 44: The Forest Of Death. He was highly capable for his age. He was able to talk, read and write. His existence in the forest was known by the Hokage as he permitted him to stay there sheltering him from the hostilities people would hold against him being the Kyuubi's vessel. Naruto was already aware of the Kyuubi's existence within him.

_Flashback_

_Naruto and Tsuki-Chan stood before a cage inside of which a large red eye with three tomoes glared at them from what seemed to and abyss of darkness. Inside of what looked very much like a sewer with water pooling around their feet. Water dripped from the pipes which twisted and turned down the corridor forming the ceiling and walls._

_**So this is the mortal who houses the greatest of the Nine Bijuu? You are not worthy to be my container.**_

"_K'uubi?" Naruto looked down to the tiny fox at his ankles for confirmation._

"_Yes Naruto, this is the greatest of this Nine Bijuu: The Kyuubi no Kitsune."_

_**Have you come to try and control my power? You are very deluded. **__He snarled at them releasing a wave of killing intent._

_Beneath the tag on the cage labelled "Seal" there was a seal shaped very much like a Sharingan eye. Below the main eight seal Tsuki-Chan avoided the claws which were stabbed in between the bars of the cage in a futile attempt to kill her. She leapt up and tore the seal from it's place on the seal. The Kyuubi's eyes seemed to spin as the Sharingan twirled before forming a single slitted pupil. All movement ceased inside the cage._

_**Kit…thank you, you have freed me of Uchiha Madara's influence I am forever in you debt. **__His tone and demeanour had changed completely even though it retained it's gruff and rumbling quality._

_This had slightly caught them off guard "So you weren't really ang'y at us like before?" Naruto gazed up at the fox which now stepped forward._

_The Kyuubi now slightly illuminated was reddish orange with its long Nine tails each capable of destroying mountains and creating tsunamis fanned behind him. His upper body was slightly humanoid and his now slitted eyes held none of the previous malice and bloodlust._

_**No it was the anger of Uchiha Madara he held towards Hashirama as he wished my hate would destroy the village he worked so hard to build .Kit, I will tutor you in how to become a great shinobi as a symbol of gratitude. I want my vessel to be known throughout the great nations as a deadly ninja… **__He stood up and took a stance with a very large grin on his face very much like a White haired Toad sannin. _

_Tsuki-Chan sweat dropped "He's not at all the monster people make out he is." _

Since then Naruto had signed the Kitsune summoning scroll and had been taught by Kurama in his mindscape whilst asleep and with his kage bunshin for quicker progress. Naruto's good relation with Kurama gave him a natural affinity for all types of nature chakra ranging from the basic five to mokuton, Jiton, Enton and Hyōton etc. Naruto wore khaki green shorts and a blue t-shirt with a red swirl on the back. In his tree he had a vast scrolls library, food storage and living space. Having lived here his whole life he was quite familiar with the Forest and it's inhabitants. Being a Jinchuuriki gave him enhanced hearing, sight and instincts better than even those of the Inuzuka Clan. His main human contact is with Inu-san an ANBU who will check on Naruto every two weeks as most wouldn't enter the forest of death. Every day Naruto would spar with Tsuki-Chan and developing their combined attacks before working on Naruto's Chakra control and many nature affinities under Kurama's guidance, he would also read scrolls on the history of Konoha and the necessary skills and knowledge he would need to have in the academy. His life continued as such until he became four when he received another gift from Kurama. As Naruto was the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi he became a Lycanthrope. He had the ability to turn into a golden fox at will. It had also caused him to take on animalistic traits. Since making and alliance with Kurama he had released him from his cage although he was still kept within him. His mindscape has transformed into landscapes he would be encountering as a ninja in the foreign countries as well as an enlarged habitat to accommodate Kurama. After becoming four Inu (Kakashi) had enrolled Naruto into the Ninja Academy and was due to start in two days' time.

"Hokage-Sama has chosen to enrol you into the academy with your consent. I will guide you there on your first day, I trust you will be equipped for this." Inu-san said, looking down at the mini-Yondaime in front of him.

"Yes, I will be there and kick ass while I'm at it." Naruto grinned at his future sensei.

"Naruto… I won't be able to see you anymore after this year. I will be taking up the role of a Jounin sensei" Inu sounded like any other ANBU but behind his mask he was upset by this.

"Does this mean that I can't see you anymore?" Naruto looked up at him with innocence he would take pleasure in corrupting. Head out of the gutter morons…

Inu looked down at the boy he knew he didn't have any friends besides his fox so he tried to compromise, "Naruto if you can graduate from the academy within a year you may be able to have me as your Jounin sensei as I will chose my students from this year's graduating class."

Naruto had hope glinting in his eyes, "So I just have to graduate in one year? I'll do my best." He nodded to himself.

Kakashi smiled with his eyes behind his mask as he watched the young blonde take off. He could almost swear Naruto had recreated the Hiraishin. Since he had been away from Konoha for so long he wasn't recognised by anyone but two people whilst shopping for new clothes, stationary, school equipment and weaponry in the markets. The two that recognised him were a Hyuuga who could recognise the Chakra signature of the Kyuubi from the attack over four years ago and an Uchiha who's Sharingan saw through the seal and saw the Kyuubi within, both of noble clans. After departing to the Forest Of Death the two shinobi followed Naruto wanting nothing more than to hurt the 'demon' that attacked their village.

As Naruto had been living in the Forest so long he was acquainted with almost every animal and he could also understand them on an instinctual level.

Sniffing discretely he easily detected the intruders he reverted to his fox form as life in such a forest never allowed him to have his guard down. His ribcage widened and his spine lengthened and a tail sprouted and golden blonde hair sprung up from every pore on his body his teeth became pointed, his three whisker marks became three prominent whiskers on his face his muscles shifted and his bone cracked as they changed, his face lengthening as he grew a muzzle. His fox stood next to him and jumped onto his shoulders perching behind his head.

He uttered a low growl and out of the forest emerged a small group of vicious but gigantic tigers, boars and Bears. The Hyuuga and Uchiha landed in the clearing in which the animals had gathered. They each took out kunai and shuriken and sized up their opponents.

"Demon brat, we are only here for you. You should have been killed the day you were sealed." The Uchiha snarled his Sharingan blazing. He twirled the kunai around his fingers.

"I can see you have lost someone in the attack, but you shouldn't make further bloodshed." Naruto distinguished himself from the other animals and that was all they needed before attacking. He was mentally more mature than any child should be due to his training with shadow clones. It was sad to see someone so young forced to adapt to defend himself from the cruelty of the world.

The Hyuuga leapt up raining shuriken down on the mass of animals who scattered avoiding the barrage, they were clumsy and uncoordinated. The Uchiha aimed low shuriken catching a tiger in the leg sending it crashing to the ground it's teeth bared in an enraged snarl. The chuunin watched the tiger fall and failed to notice Naruto who had slipped into their blind spot before the Hyuuga could activate their Byakugan.

Naruto drop kicked the Hyuuga, his claws raked down the man's back while Tsuki-Chan covered her humanoid fist with chakra slamming it into the Hyuuga's lower back sending them both pitching forwards as they rolled to regain their lost balance. They soon found their selves hard pressed to avoid the animals which had surrounded them as the boar lunged forwards catching the Hyuuga in his momentary state of vulnerability a tusk planting itself in his left leg while he axe kicked it with his right sending it squealing as it flew through the air.

He gritted his teeth as his left leg buckled due to injury. He saw the Uchiha dodging the snarling tigers as they pounced at him in all directions, driving it back with small balls of flame.

While he avoided most of them his right arm was pinned to the ground crushing it as he opened his mouth in a cry of pain as he wriggled free. The Uchiha was suddenly slugged across the face by a bear who swung a paw at him while watching the Hyuuga. The wind was knocked out of him as he struck the tree and crossed his arms and stood as the animals converged on him.

Deep gashes appeared on his arms and he fought back a scream. He looked around before a boar charged him in the stomach two parallel ragged gashed forming up his side as he simply held out a hand as if it could protect him from the final downwards strike from the tiger before he fell into the comforting darkness that would become his world forever.

The Hyuuga who now had his companion being taken down let out a roar of anguish that was quickly silenced when an orange blur struck his stomach before sending him skywards with an uppercut. Breaking through the canopy of trees he felt a blow to the head from below him as he felt the blood rushing from the wound in his head and the last thing he saw as his vision darkened was a flash of yellow with blue eyes staring at him as he fell. By the time his body struck the ground he was dead and the animals backed off leaving the mangled bodies of what were once humans in the clearing as they walked and limped off respectively as they disappeared as if they were never even there.

Naruto went up to the bodies and stared down at them Kurama called to him from inside his head. He learned from an early age that he wasn't a monster, people like these didn't deserve them to feel bad for them.

**Kit these people are from two powerful clans… they both have individual Kekkei Genkai doujustu. Being me amazing as I am… I could probably transfer their clan abilities to you if you want me to.**

Naruto cocked his head considering it and nodded mentally and glad the Kyuubi didn't dance to elaborate his point. "If this could help me that could be useful in combat" from the two bodies flowed whitish purple and red light into Naruto and Tsuki-Chan both gaining the abilities from the respective Hyuuga and Uchiha. Looking back to the bodies he decided this was an incident needing the Hokage's attention.

He returned to the tree reverting to his human form and changing into his new clothes and picking up his fox he disappeared from the clearing via shunshin.

In the Hokage's Tower the greatest man in the village braced himself as he went to confront his biggest fear and enemy; the dreaded paperwork. He sat behind his desk before staring at the pile and breaking down at the sight of it all each of the five stacks were taller than him. At that moment the wind caused by a shunshin blew all the papers across his office.

Shoving his papers aside he went to glare at the person responsible for this havoc. He didn't see anyone there. Looking down the side of his desk he saw a blonde whiskered face smiling up at him. He sighed but the youngster's grin was contagious and he found himself smiling back at him.

"Hello Naruto, what's it today?" he beckoned him to take a seat amongst the mass of papers.

"Jiji, a Hyuuga and an Uchiha attacked me… what was that about?" Naruto looked up to his grandfather figure not at all understanding the seriousness of that statement.

"You say you were attacked by the individuals of these clans?" Sarutobi sighed as he saw the upcoming headache. "What happened?"

Naruto ran through the events excluding the fact he had absorbed the clans Kekkei Genkai. He didn't need anymore enemies breathing down his neck. He had the Uchiha, drunk-ass retards and the whole of Iwa to worry about but that's another story.

"This isn't your fault Naruto you can go if you like. I hear you are to start the academy you can leave I'll deal with this." Hiruzen gave him a clear dismissal. The paperwork wasn't going to sort itself.

"Bye Jiji!" Naruto exclaimed enthusiastic as always disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Hiruzen walked out of the door to solve the new problems which were to be piled onto his desk.

After leaving he encountered Danzo, he grinned maliciously as he looked at his old teammate. "Ah Danzo, I will be busy for a while could you possibly tend to some of my work in the office? You were a very good candidate for Hokage and you still are. I trust you and the fact you are capable of looking after things until the end of the day?" Hiruzen tried to kill two birds with one stone getting rid of the paperwork and deterring Danzo from becoming the Hokage.

"Of course, it shall be no trouble at all." Danzo was eager to exploit a chance which could help him when he runs for Hokage if he shows good enough responsibility now. He walked off into the office while Hiruzen was to call a meeting excluding the civilian council. He heard a cry of anguish from Danzo as he saw what he was expected to accomplish by the end of the day. He chuckled and proceeded to gather the heads of the Ninja Clans.

Naruto woke up early and was ready long before Inu was there. He sat on a branch of his tree looking around the clearing he had claimed for himself in the morning light of dawn. There were plots of edible plants growing by the base of the tree and the surroundings he enhanced instead of destroying the nature.

It was very easy to pass by without noticing. When Inu-san arrived they quickly departed and leapt over tree tops and rooftops as Naruto had already mastered the tree-climbing and water-walking exercises.

Naruto looked from the roofs down at the young kids who were being dropped at school by their parents and relatives. He felt a pang of longing wishing he had a parent like that to look out for him.

He shook that feeling away and hopped down and entered through the main gate. He and a bunch of first-timers there were taken to the main examination halls to be tested in skills and ability. The corridors weren't decorated with the students work as it was in civilian schools but it still had that "bore me to sleep during a lecture" type of feeling to it.

"Hello class, welcome to the academy we will train you here to become ninja serving under the Hokage. We will have to test you to see at what skill and knowledge level you are currently at." The sensei looked around expectantly and showed no prejudice towards Naruto for which he was very glad "Please follow me to the target area" She took off children in tow talking and nudging each other in anticipation. Naruto talked quietly to Tsuki-Chan across a mental link formed by their intimate bond.

In the target area the children lined up in front of the targets with the teacher standing in front holding a notepad to record the scores.

She nodded giving them the go ahead and the kids started to throw, the children didn't know how to grip the kunai or the shuriken and the best they got was the odd weapon sticking out of the edge of the target at which they were extremely pleased. Naruto stepped up and Tsuki-Chan dropped out of his bag her blue eyes shone and she mentally advised him "Go all out you could probably increase the chances of us graduating in a single year." Naruto took this in mind as motivation, he looked to his teacher expectantly.

Confused she looked at the target and saw the bull's eye covered in kunai neatly buried in the dead centre. Her eyes widened as she hadn't seen him move.

Next he did the same with the shuriken. Girls started staring at him and giggling in a fashion which made him feel very uncomfortable. Next she took them to a written test. They all sat down in their seats girls still giggling across at Naruto. _That's __my__ Naruto and to all you pervs out there stop that line of thought._

When they started the test Naruto looked at the questions and finished within the first five minutes while some couldn't do it within the hour. He decided to sleep through the rest of the test with Tsuki-Chan curled up on his desk. The teacher saw this and noted it down and this process repeated in the tests for the different subjects.

By the end of the day they had taken down the information needed to place them in the classes. Most would start at the bottom year but some who are born into ninja clans would be moved up a year but not many would.

Naruto left the academy making the mad dash home. He continued training and sparring until it was sundown, climbing to the top of the tree he lay among the leaves staring at the sky which was now littered with stars and an elegant full moon. He took off his weights he wore around his wrists ankles and chest the ones on his wrist weighed however much chakra he poured into them so it was a good chakra control exercise. Closing his eyes he entered his mindscape and saw Kurama sitting next to a tree he started talking about what he would have to face as a ninja and tactics to be used in your own and enemy territory, reconnaissance and the finer arts of genjutsu. Kurama saw that the boy saw pondering something deeply.

**Kit what's wrong? I can sense when you're thinking about something.**

Naruto looked up at the giant Kitsune then back at Tsuki-Chan who looked very much like a chibi Kyuubi with more intricate details around the eyes which were turquentine blue. "I was wondering why ninjas war with other nations instead of all uniting after one banner and surviving in peace and prosperity. Wouldn't it stop wars and bloodshed? It would make life so much easier"

Kurama sighed, **Kit I'll give you this you were born with wisdom beyond your age. Most people outside of Konoha rule for their own gain as long as there is human greed and corruption; there will be war. It is the foolish older generation poisoning the minds of their successors. The world needs people like you to share these ideals and to want to protect what's important to them. If you become great someday you could help influence and guide us along this path to peace. **It was times like this that the great Kitsune's millennia of knowledge shone through.

Naruto looked up at him, determination blazing in his eyes "I will aim to become the Hokage so I can protect the people who are special to me and bring about peace." He meant every word.

**Noble ambitions… I'm glad my vessel isn't a power hungry jerk or an Uchiha. You should rest I think tomorrow will be a **_**very**_** long day. **Kurama had a knowing smile on his face and it wasn't the smile of a crazed beast or even intimidating, just a caring smile. Naruto lay down next to Kurama surprising in greatly but he didn't push him away and it wasn't as if anyone would find out the great Kyuubi had a soft spot for a human anyways…

Rising the next day Naruto strapped his weights on and waited until it was five minutes before school before leaving as shunshin had him there is seconds flat. The new students had again gathered in the hall and yesterday's sensei stood at the front of the group.

"Ok class we have found the correct places for you to start learning at in your skill level and you will be placed accordingly." She went through a long list of names and led the vast majority of the students away and left a very much smaller group there. Then she returned and led the rest of the students apart from Naruto away. He fidgeted nervously and waited her return. When she did she told him that he had done very well in his tests and left him outside a classroom and told him that this was to be his classroom.

After she left he looked at the door worried then Tsuki-Chan crawled onto his shoulder and gave a quiet but comforting yip before he reached up to the sliding door and…

That's the first chapter I hope you like it and don't forget to comment cos I won't bother finish this if I don't get enough. edited by tigerlynx read her story; Brink of Survival the 72nd Hunger Games.

Swirling Fishcakes :P

(If you're gonna flame me and destroy my self-esteem and flame me you might as well do it properly *tigerlynx*coughcough *tigerlynx*)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Chapter two now guys the more you review the faster I'll bother to update so please they're appreciated. Hope You Like xx

All eyes turned to the door as it opened very slowly. When it did a young blonde boy who was still under a metre in height with a miniature fox on his shoulder stepped through the door. There was a general mutter of "Aww he's so cute!" from the girls while the boys didn't believe this tiny kid could possibly be the new student when they had studied for years to get to their current status.

Iruka walked up to Naruto who looked a little unsure so he kneeled down to his height, "Uzumaki Naruto?" he asked simply. Naruto nodded quickly and looked past him to the young teenagers who were his students, it was such a small world for this boy. Iruka stood up and turned back to his class "Ok class, this is the new student Uzumaki Naruto. It's his first year here and help him along until he gets used to things around here." Iruka pointed to a seat next to a kid that was sleeping and a kid who was bored and was talking to his dog. Going to his stool he climbed up with a little difficulty due to his short stature.

The boy with his dog grinned and seemed to inspect him "Hey I'm Kiba and this is my partner Akamaru. Who're you?" there was no hostility coming from the older boy. He seemed interested in his partner though.

"I'm Naruto and my partner's Tsuki-Chan here." He gestured to his fox. "Should I wake the other boy? He's missing the lesson."

"Nah don't worry." Kiba shrugged it off "it's normal for this guy anyways." Akamaru and Tsuki-Chan sniffed at each other clearly curious about the other. Shikamaru snored on, lucky bastard. I tried that once during R.E and got a detention. That's just racism…

Turning back to the class it continued and as normal Naruto did well in all subjects.

After lunch they were to do aiming and sparring. The students went up to the targets and threw. They were much better that the first years as barely anyone missed but not many missed besides the Uchiha who hit eight out of ten in the centre. He threw it at flashy angles making him seem to be doing better but his throwing speed was horrible.

Unlike yesterday Naruto slowed down his throw to get the maximum point showing the minimum skills. There was a gasp from him peers whilst the Uchiha scowled and sent him a dark glare. He wondered to himself. Why could such a shrimp do so well?

Wasn't he from the prestigious clan with a status to uphold? Why could some no name do better than him when he was just some no name? So on this day the Great last Uchiha decided to spend even more time training and shoving a stick even further up his ass. My biology teacher said it wasn't physically possible though.

"Well it seems your skill report was accurate, we will now do taijutsu-only spars you should all pick a partner and enter the centre of the training fields and we will watch."

"Troublesome," the young Nara heir could not be bothered with this sort of thing.

Sasuke walked over to Naruto "Hey you, dobe." he said it very roughly towering over the newest student who seemed to be a threat to his current status.

Naruto completely ignored him not knowing he was the "Dobe" seeing as he was very intelligent.

"Dobe!" Sasuke was annoyed that he was being ignored.

"Do all Uchiha speak with self-references?" Naruto looked at Sasuke.

"What do you mean?" His eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Well, you're saying dobe and you are obviously the idiot referring to himself in the third person." Naruto continued ignoring him, the Uchiha was fuming but tried a different approach, and he shrugged of the snickers coming from the nearby boys who had overheard. It was kinda like Sesshomaru except when he does it he's awesome.

"Naruto," he decided to use his name.

Naruto looked up at him having to crane his neck to stare at the older boy "Me?" he was dwarfed by him and was standing in his shadow, not daunted by this at all.

"Yeah you, you're sparring me. Ok?" He said it more as a statement than a request.

"Ok!" he grinned up at the older boy not seeing the hidden threat due to his lack of experience with human contact and the naivety that comes with young age.

Shikamaru looked to his sparring partner who was eating chips next to him "Oh man, I feel sorry for that kid. He seems to have caught the emo's eye, he really isn't gonna pick on some tiny kid who's only been to school for two days is he? That's just low no matter how you look at it, what do you think Chouji?" glancing at his friend who had just finished a packet of chips and was inhaling the next.

"What was that Shikamaru? The chips come in a new BBQ flavour and what were you going on about?" Chouji was completely oblivious to the world when eating chips.

Naruto was standing at the back of the queue watching the spars with interest at the academy fighting style it was completely different to his own. He was not called unpredictable for no reason. The girls looked at the Uchiha then giggled sighing about how he was going to be _"my Sasuke-kun" _then muttering in worry at the tiny figure next to him.

**Kit you should take this guy seriously because these people seem to not want to spar with him and he might be powerful and have built a reputation for it. But don't worry my Chibi me will have your back.**

Tsuki-Chan nodded in agreement before pouting at being called a Chibi "I'm not a Chibi! I am a very scary ninja!" failing to growl for emphasis. (Please note Tsuki's never gonna grow up :p very much like me. Maturity is sooo overrated.)

**Ooh really? Last time I checked you're three inches tall and you haven't grown since the day I was sealed. Plus it's your middle name.**

"I am not three inches tall when I am in my perfected form! I'll be bigger than you and I have opposable thumbs! People don't expect a weapon wielding fox to attack them do they? And I carry the same weights as Naruto!" She expected some credit but continued arguing when Kurama started laughing and Naruto left them to it.

**How are you supposed to wield a sword larger than you?**

Naruto and Tsuki-Chan snapped to attention when they were called to the centre of the training field. "Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto you have to beat the opponent until they wield or I say it is over, you may begin." Iruka backed up a little and the students fell silent as they watched.

Sasuke looked for an opening in his opponents defence and found a good many as little Naruto was standing with his hands clasped behind his back with his fox staring and him. When he scratched behind his head and the fox yawned widely, obviously uninterested he went forward with a barrage of punches infuriated at being underestimated he tried to sweep Naruto's legs out from under him as the younger boy caught it and used the swinging momentum to toss him aside send Sasuke skidding in the dirt. Tsuki-Chan scratched behind her ears as the Uchiha swung a right hook at Naruto who ducked under it and the intended strike caused the boy to over extend tripping over the fox who didn't even flinch as the teen came crashing over her.

Turning to look at him as he rolled a bit before springing up and trying to kick her. He appeared to connect with what appeared to be a bunshin but it was an after image of where she was previously. That was when he felt Naruto kick him in the back sending him onto his hands and knees before jumping to the side and calculating his options while Naruto looked at him before putting his hands in his pockets. What was his genius going to give him in this fight?

He didn't see it as an advantage in any way. So he was going to use him clan's style which intercepted blows before lashing out, it was designed for Uchiha with the Sharingan so it was not as effective as it could have been. Running at Naruto he sent a quick jab at him before leaning back slightly as Naruto feinted an uppercut. Before he realised his mistake he had his legs out from under him as he was sprawling on the floor. The girls watching were shocked that the best of the best was being knocked about in such a way. Sasuke gave Naruto the infamous Uchiha glare as he dusted himself off. He ran forward again with more caution as he felt this way when Itachi knocked him about, he felt weak and he didn't like it as he had been relying on his heritage to become stronger. What had he achieved all this time? If a four year old could beat him how was he to stand up to Itachi? He used that thought to fuel himself.

He launched forward with a roar as he jumped and sent a spin kick at Naruto who, to his surprise fell into a perfect split. As he grabbed the foot aimed at him and threw he away. Sasuke was surprised as he flew into the little fox who latched onto his arm and flipped over smashing Sasuke into the ground creating a small crater as she landed heavily on his chest her weights knocked the air out of his as he gasped and struggled in a futile attempt to get her off.

Seeing as Sasuke wasn't going anywhere Iruka ended the match "winner Uzumaki Naruto!" he was surprised as he said it because he hadn't ever seen anyone handle Sasuke like that with such ease. There was a general cheering from the boys and the Sasuke fangirls ran over to him who was irritated at the attention and was angry as he had hurt his pride more than anything else. Naruto picked up Tsuki-Chan as she crawled onto his head and dozed off.

**I knew ningen were pathetic but this is sad. I like his older brother though. He did the world a favour killing off those red-eyed pricks.**

_People killin'…_

**People dyin'…**

_Children hurt_

**And you hear them cryin'**

_Would you practice what you preach?_

**Hell no stupid.**

Kiba drew Naruto to the side grinning at him with newfound respect "Man that was cool, nobody has beaten the Uchiha so far, he's the strongest in the class, you've probably gone and earned yourself a reputation. You work well with your partner there." He gestured to Tsuki-Chan who was sitting on the top of his head apparently having a conversation with Akamaru who of all creatures towered over her as well.

Naruto cocked his head to the side before looking up at Kiba with a genuinely confused look on his face "That… was an achievement?" Naruto who had been holding back was trying to see why he would gain a reputation while the boys surrounding him burst into laughter at the great Uchiha being put in his place. "And that… was a boy? More laughter followed that as they watched the boy trying to comprehend the fact that the girly looking person was a boy.

"Really, did you think that all the girls in our class were homos?" Chouji asked, doubtful.

"Um, Yes. I guess so." Naruto was speaking the whole truth.

Kiba fell about laughing. "The girls are lesbos!" he instantly regretted it as he saw all the girls turn at him in unison glaring daggers at him as they ran at him. They beat him and left him on the floor crying puddles of anime tears around him. Akamaru stood away from this, whining. At least the dog has some brains.

Shikamaru and Chouji had taken an interest with most of the boys in general. "Who trained you? You must have had someone pretty good for you to become that good at your age. Do they do lessons or what?" Shikamaru wasn't one to take interest in anything much but this was an exception.

"Oh who trained me? I trained me." Naruto was proud that someone had acknowledged him as strong.

"You have got to be kidding me?" Shikamaru for once looked quizzical.

Naruto pointed to his himself and gestured "Nope!"

"He's self-trained and is stronger than me…" Kiba looked down depressed and Akamaru whined softly. "Since you train with a fox could you learn the Inuzuka style?"

"Hmm I think so, could I train with you?" Naruto was eager to learn anything new with his peers whilst Tsuki-Chan seemed to have taken an interest with the Nara clan.

"Fine by me I'll take you to the compound after school." Inside Kiba was curious to find out more about this kid who's experience he could probably profit from.

"You're welcome at mine to after you just shamed the Uchiha that will have gotten you into my clan's good books." Shikamaru didn't really care too much though.

At the end of the day Naruto found himself being looked over by Kiba's older sister Inuzuka Hana. Before walking towards his compound while Tsuki-Chan decided to bound over the rooftops. "So Kiba, why are you bringing this little kid home with you?" she looked down at Kiba with a raised eyebrow. They were both strikingly similar, Unruly brown hair and red clan markings on their faces.

"Yeah well, that kid there beat the Uchiha of the class and works with an animal companion. That's why." Hana looked slightly taken aback that this miniature blondie had taken on the strongest of the class and was three times younger than him.

"You sure you're not just into younger men?" Hana wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Kiba went red in the face and sputtered indignantly. Naruto looked at his newfound friend "I don't get it."

_And you won't get it until you're at least twenty._

_Yeah, whatever Tsuki-Chan._

As they entered the compound Tsuki-Chan dropped down onto Naruto's head gazing around liking the fact that being partnered here made her stand out less. The Inuzuka compound was large as it housed a lot of people and dogs as a major clan in Konoha, there were dogs and trainers working with each other and simply enjoying each other's company.

Inuzuka Tsume looked at her son's friend with interest and after the long explanation decided to train the two of them. "Ok but what you achieve will also bring credit to our clan so do us proud. We will be starting on the clan's basic: Shikyaku no Jutsu. Kiba show 'em" Kiba grumbled but hastened to do so when his mother's glare promised him pain. Transforming slightly his nails and canines sharpened and lengthened while his body shifted and changed to accommodate movement on all limbs.

Naruto saw this then a lightbulb went off in his head "Hey Kurama?" he spoke to the Kyuubi mentally.

**I hear ya Kit.**

"Can I use a little chakra?"

**Yeah yeah fine by me**. Kurama turned back to an orange book which was all too familiar stifling the giggles that were brought by what was written.

_If he finds that in his mindscape I'll castrate you._

**To do that I'd need to have balls now wouldn't I? I'm an embodiment of chakra retard. **Kurama flipped to the next page.

_Then let's explore the wonder that is genjutsu. _

Focusing the fox's chakra Naruto went through the same changes as Kiba although his eyes became slitted and red. Kiba was surprised by this as it had taken him months to get it down. "I guess we'll move on to the Tsuuga." Tsume and Hana also surprised by the boy's progress. They moved to a training area thick with trees as Tsume instructed Kiba again to demonstrate with Akamaru who ate a soldier pill became a man-beast clone of Kiba.

Naruto was intrigued by the two tornados of power that managed to burrow straight through a tree. "Tsume-sama what would happen if I surrounded my body with chakra as I spun?" speaking for his fox, he was liking this technique very much.

She raised an eyebrow as she evaluated these two before her "It would merely become more devastating. And cut out that "sama" crap"

Naruto took that in mind as he started working on the technique with Tsuki-Chan. Focusing her chakra Tsuki-Chan enlarged herself to the size of an average dog before standing on her hind legs and aiming at the tree. After an hour they had gotten it down before they attempted something more. Releasing chakra from their bodies they formed two blue bullets which started drilling through the trees showing no signs of stopping until Hana called them off.

Naruto looked at the destruction he had caused with his little buddy who had shrunk to her normal size and wandered back to the waiting Inuzukas. "Did I do good?" he was very hopeful at this as he looked up at them who nodded mutely. It wasn't perfect but the chakra they coated theirselves in made up the destructive force tenfold.

"Kiba you can bring your little friend around here anytime you like." As she saw the sun setting she decided that it was time for a young boy to be heading home. They had run through the jutsu a few times without the cloak of chakra.

"Ok!" Naruto started walking to the entrance with Kiba chattering about how cool his clan was.

"Wow… why wasn't he born into the clan?" Tsume watched the two retreating figures.

"I'd swap him for Kiba anyday." Hana added her two cents as Tsume could only agree.

Kiba stared down at the blonde bundle of energy who should have depleted his chakra by now. "Hey who's gonna pick you up?" he was looking around for any sign of Naruto's parents but saw none.

"What? I live on my own with Tsuki-Chan for as long as I can remember but I gotta get going, see ya at school tomorrow!" he was off like a shot before Kiba could do anything but blink. It was a little bit sad that the kid who could still smile as he did was so alone.

Naruto who had spent almost his entire life in the forest decided to explore the village a bit more. As the sun set and the stars dotted the sky Naruto decided to turn back before catching a scent he had scented before and Tsuki-Chan looked on in interest.

Fleeing from the Hyuuga compound was a Kumo-nin who had under his arm: a classmate of Naruto's who was Hyuuga Hinata. Jumping down from the rooftops Naruto jumped in the man's path. "Hey whatcha you doin'?" the Kumo shinobi cursed as he threw a three kunai at Naruto who dodged and stuck to a wall using chakra and stared at the man confirming him as the enemy.

Tsuki-Chan growled and leapt up past the enemy's guard and bit down on the arm carrying Hinata, drawing blood as he dropped her only for her to be caught by Naruto who carried her a greater distance away. Tsuki-Chan summoned a two shuriken and pelted the shinobi with them; he was clearly irritated that he couldn't reach the Hyuuga heiress even if the projectiles missed him.

Naruto came back and was engaging in taijutsu, the enemy ducked under a punch as he struck out with his leg and Naruto leant back into the bridge as shuriken flew above him and struck the Kumo-nin in the stomach.

He coughed up blood as he didn't have time to counter as the fox had surrounded it's body with lighting and was tackling him as he received a glancing blow to the side he felt his flesh sear and his body start to numb with the slight effects of paralysis.

He turned to see Naruto kick him in the back and then two more Narutos dropping down on him from above. He managed to roll to avoid one of them but he suffered a heavy kick from the other as none of them had taken off their weights.

His body made an imprint in the ground as he landed. Out of the corner of his eye he saw he was closer to Hinata than they were so he ran to he, he mustered his energy as he ran at her deciding to take her down. Tsuki-Chan seeing this ran forwards for all she was worth into the path of the oncoming ninja who had a kunai at the ready, she cried out past gritted teeth as it lodged itself into her side as blood flew from the wound but she wouldn't budge from her position from in front of Hinata.

Naruto snarled, enraged as he gave in to his inner fox and one minute he was a human bolting at the enemy and the next he was a golden fox loping towards him with murder in his eyes.

He started spinning in a blue bullet of chakra as he ripped into the ninja's flank who suddenly poofed into a shredded log. The ninja didn't manage to kawarimi in time and was sporting a huge gash on his side.

Naruto didn't let up yet and he adopted his personal fighting style as he darted forwards and started slashing at the man who was losing blood very quickly from the wound on his side and he was sluggish in his attempts to defend himself.

Slowly but surely the cuts inflicted by Naruto wore him down. Not yet defeated he came back with a punch catching Naruto in the ribs, he bit down on the fist as it retracted, the enemy cried out cradling his hand falling to his knees.

Naruto stood over him, his figure illuminated by the moon behind him as he had a paw raised, wicked claws sprouting from them. He brought his paw down across the man's throat, it looked like he had all the authority of the Shinigami in that moment.

The man gurgled bringing up blood before falling motionless. Naruto stared down at the body his anger vanishing as his eyes reverted back to their normal blue. The sound of the explosion had brought Hyuugas milling out some having seen what had occurred with their Byakugan. They looked down at the body of the Kumo ninja and took off toward the Hyuuga heiress.

She was stirring and they looked to Naruto and Tsuki-Chan to see whether or not they were a threat. Tsuki-Chan wrapping her hand around the kunai yanked it out letting it clatter to the floor. The man who was evidently leader of the clan ordered a branch member to take Hinata inside to which they immediately complied.

"It seems we owe the safety of our Kekkei Genkai to you two." Hiashi looked down at the two foxes.

Naruto nodded "I am still able to speak like this," he was very afraid of what he had done, shrinking slightly under his apparently unseeing stare dropping his tail between his legs.

"Thank you, this could have become very dangerous for us having the Byakugan breeding outside of Konoha. The Hyuuga will be very grateful for this." Hiashi knew it was good Hinata had been saved but this would complicate things with Kumo.

"I will leave now I need to get my friends wounds looked at." He didn't want to stick around for too long. He picked up his clothes from the cold stone paving before the blood from the body reached it and was about to disappear in a shunshin before he was called back.

"What is your name? We may need to find you again later if this is complicated anymore." Hiashi had an unreadable expression on his face.

"Naruto, my name is Uzumaki Naruto." Slinging his clothes onto his back he disappeared with his friend in a puff of smoke. Hiashi frowned as that name was all too familiar.

They reappeared in an alleyway dimly lit by the moonlight which managed to filter through the entrance. He tugged on his clothes wincing as he touched the shoulder which had been thrown into the wall. Looking to his side he saw Tsuki-Chan licking her flank trying to halt the blood flow. He walked out of the alley hurrying towards the hospital which was still mainly lit and was bustling with activity.

Naruto walked up to the receptionist who looked down at the haggard little boy "Sir? Can I have me and my fox looked at please?" he was tired and swaying slightly on his feet. The man at the desk pressed a button and shortly afterwards a nurse with cropped brown hair and a white uniform walked in and took Naruto to a ward. After examining him she found he had crushed and dislocated his shoulder, a cracked rib and T-Chan had taken a nasty wound but after the blood had stopped all potential dangers had been avoided.

"You will have to stay here for a couple of days. Don't worry, stay here until we say all your injuries are better ok?" she was gentle but firm. She departed leaving Naruto to climb into bed in the white pyjamas he had been given which covered most of the bandages while Tsuki-Chan curled up on his feet irritated knowing that if she tugged the bandages on her side of they'd fit her with a cone. Kurama chose to speak now.

**Hey Kit you ok?**

"Yeah I guess…"

**This is boring I'll speed up your healing process we'll get outta here faster. **Pouring his chakra into his hosts the pain in T-Chan's side receded to a dull throb as was Naruto's shoulder.

"Thanks Kurama."

**This looks like you're in for a whole lot of trouble Kit, You seem to be a magnet for it.**

T-Chan sighed as she drifted off to sleep "I really hate it when you're right…" Kurama snickered as he let himself sleep as well with nothing better to do.

Naruto's eyes closed as the last thing he saw was the white ceiling of the hospital.

That's it for chapter two don't worry there will be more fights and Naruto's true strength is still being held back I've got a lot of more stuff in the upcoming chapters. Please review I've already written the chapters but I'll only continue if you guys thinks it's any good. Bye

Swirling Fishcakes :P


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

I think I'll give Naruto the ability to fly and he will also sign the toad contract and I think he deserves a family too, his growth will affect the chuunin exams and the other major arcs. Please review it's good motivation. Aiming for 100 by the end of this.

Sarutobi's eyebrows were knitted together in a frown as he looked at the demands made by Kumo. They had assumed that it was a Hyuuga that had killed their comrade who had been assigned to steal the Byakugan. Basing their story entirely on the fact that he had been killed they demanded that the head of the Hyuuga clan's body be handed over. There was the unspoken possibility of war brewing between these two major countries. He was holding a meeting with the Hyuugas and Naruto who had been cleared from Hospital. After sending the message to Kumo stating that it was an academy student who had taken down one of their most elite Jounin they had decided to meet in Kusagakure. The terms were that both Kages have to travel there and meet for a dual between both Academy students of their respective nations. They had to travel with guards but not enough to be considered as an offensive force. The Hyuuga head had to travel there as well. For if they should lose they would hand him over to Kumo but they intended to switch him with his twin brother who's Kekkei Genkai would be sealed upon death. It had been requested that Naruto be the representative for Konohagakure as he was the one who defeated the Kumo shinobi.

"Are we to meet these demands?" the Hyuuga Head was there with his identical twin brother.

"I think it would be for the best if we did." Sarutobi rubbed a temple, was far too old to do this sort of stuff.

"Is this my fault?" Naruto was politically aware and was blaming himself for this predicament.

"No not at all, but you will have to fight your way out of this. We will have to pit you against another ninja from a foreign country though." Hiruzen saw the worry in the boy's eyes.

"When are we going to leave?" fresh determination sparking up in Naruto's eyes. From his shoulder Tsuki growled ready for a challenge anytime.

Hiruzen smiled at him "We are due to leave at noon tomorrow, you should bring all your equipment and your friend there too." Hiruzen saw the Will of Fire burning brightly inside of this boy. He watched him go and prepare to leave.

Neji watched all this sadly as he saw no hope for the tiny boy or his fox, "Dad will you make it out of this?" he was looking despairingly for a way out of this and his heart sank as Hizashi's head shook ever so slightly. It seemed his father's fate had been sealed.

Back home Naruto started to pack filling his pouch with shuriken and kunai as he prepared to leave to Kusa. Tsuki-Chan sealed weaponry into her sealing tattoos on her paws. They had also packed a couple of days' worth of food sealed away into a scroll. When they had finished it was only a small pack slung over Naruto's back. Kurama chose then to speak.

**Kit you're probably gonna fighting the best a whole country has to offer so you better have your guard up and it probably won't be as easy as with the Uchiha so be warned.**

"Don't worry, he'll be fine cos he's got me!" Tsuki-Chan smirked up at Naruto who smiled back at her.

**Yeah great… that's what I'm worried about.**

"Don't even go there!"

**Anyway Kits you can use my chakra if push comes to shove ok? Your performance could prevent a war which is one of your ambitions so don't hold back.**

Naruto was glad he had those two, he may not have a family but he was far better off than not having them at all. "We should skip the training tonight as we'll be departing tomorrow." Naruto decided to rest easy for the remainder of the day.

"Fine by me." Tsuki-Chan strolled into the living area in which there was a fireplace amongst the wood which was against the far wall protected by layers of colourful semi-precious stones resistant to heat and a tunnel through the top of the tree and outside. There was a small table suited for his increasing size and three beautifully carved chairs of chestnut brown and the arms of the chair ended with fox heads and the tops were of a closed rose which was carved by Tsuki-Chan who had scratched away at it for a while a long time back. There was also a soft brown armchair next to a sofa of a similar style, both were a nice beige with thick cushions patterned with stitches resembling a forest clearing. The ceiling was high as it was a large tree indeed as it was also stocked with carvings of painted wooden animals and the odd scroll only accessible to them as it only reacted to their chakra signatures. Along the high walls there were a few hidden entrances and exits as well as a hammock and a small shelf where there was something resembling a nest or more closely a woven basket. It had a cushion inside of it too. The whole place felt very lived-in. Tsuki-Chan lit the fire, next to which was a pile of logs, with a low level fire jutsu. She curled up in front of it dozing while Naruto went to do some light studying with his kage bunshins. They took up a few scrolls on Kumogakure as they went and studied the countries teaching system noting down some things to expect. After taking in a reasonable amount he was glad to remember that wind cancelled out lightning, although he had affinities for every type his affinity for wind was a bit stronger. He had a good list of Fuuton A ranked and S ranked techniques up his sleeve. So he decided to call it quits for the day. Walking upstairs he entered the living room and extinguished the fire and swept up the ashes pouring them down a chute which emptied itself over his plants. Climbing up the walls using chakra he climbed into the hammock pulling a cover over himself. Tsuki-Chan likewise had climbed up the wall but instead of sleeping in her basket she curled up next to Naruto. He wrapped an arm around her as the both feel asleep.

-That Day At The Academy-

Iruka took down notes of who was in and who wasn't and he found Naruto to be absent. He wasn't aware why and that was when a ninja bearing a scroll appeared. It was even more confusing when he saw the Hokage's seal on it. After delivering the scroll the ninja disappeared leaving it with him to announce to the class. "It seems that the new student Uzumaki Naruto will be absent for a while." At that part Sasuke looked smug "it happens to be that he was injured during a fight against a Jounin from Kumo." Iruka's eyes widened as he read on and there was a general muttering that was starting up from his students. "He has recovered after defeating the ninja caught attempting to kidnap Hyuuga Hinata." The whole of the class turned to the poor girl. She started to play with her fingers looking away, "His defeat of a foreign ninja means that he has been chosen out of the academy students to fight against another from Kumo in a challenge between our countries. His absence from the Academy is permitted." His new student seemed to have a knack for trouble, he was certainly an unusual one.

Sasuke was fuming at this, _"I'm an Uchiha! After the recent massacre I need this power not him! I will become stronger and test myself against him to see my progress. And why wasn't I chosen?"_

Shikamaru for once was awake and actually listening, Chouji had also set his pack of chips down: It was a day full of miracles. "Man that troublesome kid managed to cause this much within the day we met him, if he draws this much attention all the time he won't last long as a ninja." He let himself yawn as he went back to sleep and Chouji resumed eating chips: the balance of the universe had been restored.

Iruka turned back to the class and continued the lessons.

The next day Naruto was up especially early, he had gone down to the hot springs and cleaned himself off before attempting to brush Tsuki-Chan who wouldn't keep still for more than a minute, the key word was attempting. He was wearing more formal shinobi clothes. Outfitted in black ANBU style pants and metal plated fingerless gloves, a black top and a jacket similarly styled to the Chuunin flak jacket. A shuriken holster on his right leg and a pouch of Kunai, senbon, explosive tags, flashbangs and specialised smoke bombs. T-Chan had the exact same supplies stored with her. It was their first time going outside the village and more so it was to fight, they were a bit uncertain. And they decided to get there early and since it was still only eight o'clock they found a small hollow in the tree and crawled in there and slept for a while. As the deadline drew near Hiruzen arrived with his guards from ANBU one of which was Dog-san. Hiashi and Hizashi were there too with a few branch family members and Neji in tow. Looking outside Naruto saw the sun was about to mark the centre of the sky as it was noon and he poked his head out of the hollow and climbed down to the lower branches before dropping down next to Sarutobi. The ANBU were instantly on their guard before relaxing slightly.

"Is everyone ready to depart?" Hiruzen was expecting to leave much later having Dog-san as a guard but today was felling generous as they had gotten there three hours before expected departure.

As no complaints arose they left down the main road before taking to the trees with Neji sitting on his father's back. His eyes were dull and seemed not to see at all. They mainly travelled in silence until Tsuki-Chan broke off from the group and ran ahead, Hiruzen looked to Naruto for an explanation who shook his head ever so slightly.

There was the sound off rustling in the branches above and the travelling group stopped just before the bodies of two people fell through the leaves down onto the ground below. They had several senbon sticking out of them and with another rustle they again looked up to see two Tsuki-Chans looking down on them. "Methinks that hurts." One of them disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Was this an attack sent by Kumo?" Hiruzen instantly went over to the bodies who when turned over turned out to be two missing-nin from Iwa.

"It seems they intended to rob us." They went with that idea and waited for Tsuki-Chan to finish removing the senbon from the bodies before continuing until nightfall.

They stopped and set up camp Hiruzen and the Hyuugas set up tents while those of the ANBU were set up in a defensive formation around them. They had a small fire going and Neji was sitting in front of it arms wrapped around his legs his chin resting on his knees still with that blank look staring unseeingly into the fire. Naruto and Tsuki-Chan looked down at Neji, Tsuki-Chan dropped her ears down feeling bad for the boy. Slowly she climbed down the tree and made a gesture with her head for him to follow. She walked forward hesitantly nudging Neji's arm startling him. He relaxed crossing his legs looking down at her as she made herself comfortable on his lap ears pricking up again. Naruto jumped down from his branch and wandered over to the older boy.

"Hey," Naruto sat down next to Neji who quickly looked away. "What's wrong?" he was genuinely concerned for the other boy.

Neji sighed but he did need someone to talk to "It's just that… you see I don't think you could do this, no offence but they'll probably put you against the best their whole country has to put forward. My dad is just a tool for a plan to keep the peace but I don't think he should suffer this fate because of our abilities. It's like his fate has already been set." He turned back to the dancing flames as he left Naruto to think on that.

"If that's how you see it then I'll become stronger than what their country has to offer to protect your clan and father. I'll not back down until that person doesn't rise again I'll give it my all and more. I don't want an innocent man to die for this and I'm gonna make sure that he'll get through this and fate is never sealed." Naruto stood up and left with his fox.

"Where are you going?" Neji looked to the boy's retreating back.

"To train and become the best I can for you and your father." Naruto looked over his shoulder seriousness moulding his features. Neji felt warmth coming from the bottom of his heart. He felt that whatever happened he would be alright. From inside the tents people smiled that the boy had the heart and will that would carry him far. Hizashi smiled that the boy wanted to do this and was going to give everything he had even if it wasn't enough he would never hate the boy. Hiashi was happy the boy was so defensive of his younger brother and his nephew's wellbeing. Dog-san or rather Kakashi smiled as he saw his sensei inside of the boy. Striding through the woods Naruto and Tsuki-Chan stopped about five kilometres from the others seeing this was the distance needed if they were to practice what they had in mind. Kurama decided to pitch in as well. He didn't return at all last night. And they sent Dog-san to track him down. A little while later he returned.

"I think you would like to see this." Dog-san said it in a way that meant he should get there as soon as possible. When they reached the spot Dog-san pointed out there was a clearing. But there wasn't one there yesterday; it was a crater with a radius of three kilometres. Hiruzen spied a figure wearing black in the centre of it when they got there Naruto was just sleeping next to his fox like there was no tomorrow. Neji knelt down and poked Naruto in the shoulder who was up like a shot kunai drawn against Neji's throat.

Neji was taken aback by the boy's reflexes, "You overslept." He grinned at the boy's expression.

Naruto looked around "It looks like the new technique worked." He surveyed the destruction he had caused.

"You did this?" Hiruzen already knew the answer but was still shocked anyway. Naruto nodded smiling a mile a minute.

"Yeah! Do you think this could get rid of my opponent?" Naruto who certainly overestimated people tended to end up beating them to a pulp. Hiruzen nodded and almost felt bad for the person Naruto faced. Almost.

Neji was surprised "you developed this for your fight?" he was astounded the boy would go to these lengths for them.

"Of course! I won't fail you." Naruto meant every word.

_Definitely sensei's child. _Kakashi smiled under his mask.

Tsuki-Chan woke up and stretched like a cat before jumping into Naruto's bag. Head poking out of the top of it. When they packed up their tents they passed the clearing again. Tsuki-Chan looked back at it then channelled some of Kurama's Mokuton chakra into the ground causing the trees to sprout up again, breaking through the earth, matching the others in height and width. Hiruzen looked at Naruto and Tsuki-Chan who didn't understand the look they were getting. "What?"

"Naruto, do you have the Kekkei Genkai of the First Hokage?" Hiruzen looked down at the boy.

"Yeah why?" Hiruzen was shocked and he didn't think the boy could surprise him more than he already had. "I also have the Sharingan and Byakugan is that bad or something?" Hiruzen's jaw widened slightly before he composed himself.

The Hyuuga and Dog-san were staring at him in disbelief. "Show me." Were the only two words that seemed to make sense. Naruto nodded and he turned his three tomoed cerulean Sharingan on while Tsuki-Chan activated the Byakugan staring at them then they switched activating the other before their eyes returned to normal. "When did this happen?"

"Oh I got those doujustu a while ago when a Hyuuga and an Uchiha tried to kill me." Naruto smiled up at them as it seemed totally normal to him.

"You mean…" Hiashi trailed off as he processed all this.

"We need to leave we can discuss this later." Hiruzen jumped into the trees before they could argue they had spent the rest of most of the day travelling with Naruto sitting on an enlarged Tsuki-Chan's back as he took a break from their training. By the time the sun had started to set they arrived in Kusa. They met the Raikage who was travelling with Killerbee and a few other of his elite guards and a young teenage boy.

"I assume that he is the boy to represent you?" he gestured to Neji who took a step toward his father.

"No not at all." Sarutobi looked down behind him "it's this child, Naruto come out." Naruto stepped out from behind Sarutobi and the Raikage scoffed.

"This is the child that defeated Jinpachi? You insult me." The boy next to him looked cocky and self-assured. "He stands no chance against Daichi."

**Hey Kit you see the big guy standing next to the Raikage? He's the Jinchuuriki of Gyuuki the Hachibi**.

Naruto looked to the man with sunglasses and Tsuki-Chan nodded. "Hachibi-sama" he pointed to Killerbee.

This caught the Raikage off guard and he narrowed his eyes. "What did you say?"

Killerbee took this as an opportunity to express himself "Look out Daichi this guy knows his stuff this contest could be pretty tough. And how does he know about me? I'm the greatest of all, Jinchuuriki of Hachibi!" he was rewarded by being sent into and through the wall courtesy of the Raikage's fist.

Konoha looked shocked by this while Kumo didn't give it a second glance. "We will have the contest tomorrow at three and it will be in the centre of Kusa in the arena. Don't be late." The Raikage wanted the satisfaction of having the last word so he turned on his heel and stormed off to an inn that he was currently staying in. His group hurried after him.

Konoha decided to stay in a nice hotel near the arena and then the decided to question Naruto about his acquired Kekkei Genkai. "Naruto how did you get the Byakugan?"

Naruto cocked his head and thought but he came up with nothing "Ask her." He pointed out Tsuki-Chan next to him.

She told Hiashi to ask Kurama, "Who's Kurama?" he asked after Naruto translated that for him Tsuki-Chan's eyes became red and slitted as she spoke.

**I'm Kurama that's who. **Kurama used Tsuki-Chan and spoke through her.

"How did they get their Kekkei Genkai?" Hiashi got straight to the point not at all fazed by this change.

**Well since your clan member and the Uchiha clan member attacked them and they lost I transferred your clan abilities end of. See it as a punishment for them trying to kill my hosts.**

Tsuki-Chan's eyes turned back to blue as she wandered back to Naruto's room. Hiashi couldn't do anything about it really so he decided to leave it at that "Ok, goodnight then." He headed back to his room. Naruto with nothing better to do jumped into bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

When he woke up and got ready he had eaten and prepared and arrived at the arena with his group before the group from Kumo did and Tsuki-Chan surveyed the arena for geographical advantages until the Raikage stormed in sending the doors flying off their hinges. He went over to the Kage box in the highest point of the arena overlooking the match. Sarutobi watched as everything in the Raikage's path was reduced to rubble as he took a seat next to him. They had their supporters from their respective nations on either side of them.

The Raikage looked to Sarutobi and grinned flashing his pointed canines. "I think it's time to start this thing, both contestants may start!" He bellowed into the battlefield below.

I'll stop here and to all those who can figure out what caused the crater I'll do a proper good fight with Naruto vs. Gaara in the last part of the chuunin exams and resurrect Minato and Kushina.

Swirling Fishcakes :P


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four:

Ok as you probably know by now I'm pretty crap at fighting scenes so I just gonna basically throw in a bunch of kicks, punches and some cool Jutsus anyways so bear with me.

"The only rules are fight until one dies, wields or is unable to do anymore, Start!" the Raikage bellowed thrusting his muscled arm into the air.

Daichi drew two kunai and ran at Naruto, throwing them. Naruto and Tsuki-Chan easily dodged splitting up as they clung to the wall with chakra before raining shuriken down on him with deadly accuracy. Daichi blocked most of them but one slipped past his guard and buried itself in his shoulder. He growled and used the basic Raiton no jutsu, sending bolts of lightning at his two opponents not landing a blow. He rushed at Naruto fist at the ready aiming at his head only for it to be caught and be returned with a kick to the stomach sending him flying into the other side of the arena. Daichi coughed up blood as he freed himself from the wall. Tsuki-Chan created four kage bunshins and set them digging in a corner of the arena and they soon disappeared underground. Meanwhile in the kage box the Raikage was not as assured in victory as he was previously was. Daichi charged his hand before using Raiton: Raikou Oonami. Slamming his fist into the ground, Daichi sent out a shock wave to paralyse his opponents who jumped out of his range and cancelled it out with Naruto using a powerful wind technique; Fuuton: Shinkuu Renpa. He released blades of wind at Daichi who was powerless to dodge received a deep gash to his chest as he bent over in agony, howling.

The Raikage bared his teeth growling "That boy is not academy student! He must at least be a genin! We agreed it would be a fight between academy students. This is a clearly one sided fight against my best academy student." He turned jabbing an accusing finger at Hiruzen.

The Sandaime smiled at the Raikage, "Oh do believe me he is only in his first year and the most talented most probably. He's shown the most determination I've seen since I chose my successor."

He was secretly enjoying the fact the Raikage was clearly upset by this, as he turned back to the match which was now being fought with taijutsu. Daichi was looking worse for wear as he blocked a kick with his arms skidding back before sweeping Naruto's legs from under him as he charged. He fell forwards into a handstand before kicking out with his legs, Daichi rose again before speaking.

"Why do you fight? The people of that clan aren't your family are they? What makes you strong enough to beat me?" He was reacting very much like Sasuke did when he was beaten. He was so self-assured and cocky he hadn't expected to have to go all out and even more so lose.

"Why do I fight? I fight because they _are _family and they may not be related by blood but we are all from one village united. I fight for the Hyuuga and the boy who's father's life is dependent on this match. I fight for him, the Main and the Branch family! He doesn't deserve this and," he glanced over to Neji who was unspeakably grateful for this "I don't go back on my word! I fight to protect, that's what makes me strong." Naruto said this all and it was heartfelt while Daichi looked down before snorting, about to charge again before Naruto spoke up. "If I were you I wouldn't move."

Daichi sneered at him "A ninja is supposed to be sneaky, do you really think I'd fall for that?" Daichi took a step forward in defiance. The fox standing behind him muttered an inaudible "Baku" causing the ground Daichi was standing on to explode in a four point simultaneous explosion. Four Tsuki-Chans form earlier dispelled their selves with their jobs done.

"As for do I think you'd fall for that. I'd say yes." Naruto looked down into the hole of the burned and beaten Daichi who was trapped beneath rubble. The match was clearly over.

"Winner Uzumaki Naruto!" the words tasted sweet as Hiruzen said them. He wished he had a camera to take the picture of a country's leader with his jaw brushing the floor as he cried two streams of anime tears rolling down his face. It reminded him of Jiraiya after his "research" had been burnt. The medical team rushed over to Daichi while Naruto strode off towards the Hyuugas.

Neji rushed over to Naruto "Thank you! You promised us and you pulled it off. I should have never doubted you. I owe you my father's life I can't say how much this means. But I will always have your back one brother to another." He held out his hand and Naruto took it holding it strongly in a firm grip a bond forming between the two.

Hiashi and Hizashi smiled at the two, also glad that everything had worked out. They decided to take their leave from the arena not wanting to get caught up in the Raikage's upcoming tantrum. Before the left Tsuki-Chan went to the betting booth and picked up 1000,000 Ryō from the angry gamblers who were furious at losing their money to a soft-hearted runt from Konoha. She smiled before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Back at the hotel Hiashi, Hizashi and Hiruzen all gathered into the room with Naruto before placing a sound blocking seal on the door and all three relaxed. Hiashi lounged in a chair "It's difficult to act like a Hyuuga with a stick up your ass all the time." He sighed.

Naruto looked at him wondering "A stick up the ass?" he looked at Hiashi for a tell-tale bump at the back of his kimono and Hiruzen chuckled.

"Watch your mouth! I like him innocent." Tsuki-Chan growled at the inappropriate language.

Hiashi rolled his eyes "Naruto you've done a lot for us and we will put you under protection of our clan. Would you accept this?" Hiashi looked at Naruto a bit of seriousness returning.

"Yes I do accept this honour with the greatest of thanks." Naruto was delighted at this. Hiruzen smiled glad that people were seeing Naruto as himself not the demon.

**Good and you don't mind that the kit holds me? **Tsuki-Chan's eyes were red and slitted as she looked and spoke to Hiashi who had paled.

"Y-yes I do." Hiashi sounded very much like his daughter at that point.

**That's nice and you're under my protection too now. **Kurama smiled at them.

Hiruzen was shocked at this as the great Kyuubi was controlling someone and not wreaking mayhem. "Kyuubi?" he was still checking that this was the creature that attacked years ago.

**And to answer the question you're to ask no. I didn't attack back then I was being manipulated by Madara. And yes I am in control. And yes the Uchiha had a part in my attack I think. **Tsuki-Chan's eyes turned back to blue with large pupils as she sauntered off leaving most of the people present gobsmacked. **One more thing. **The looked to him/her again. **Don't tell the Uchiha. **She then disappeared into the next room.

Hiruzen and the Hyuuga looked to Naruto who didn't seem surprised at all "What? You didn't think he'd just attack the village for no reason did you?" he said it like the most obvious thing in the world and as they were about the answer Tsuki-Chan's head popped around the door and they quickly shook their heads in answer.

"We'll leave for Konoha tomorrow." Hiruzen decided it was best to leave their issues at that. Just then the door was knocked in by the Raikage who stood in the doorway ready to bring out his wrath. Just as Tsuki-Chan decided to walk in.

"Hahaha the Raikage's elite Jounin was beaten by an academy student. If this gets out people will probably attack Kumo seeing them as weak and side with us. I hope it doesn't result in a war." She seemed to see the Raikage just now who had stopped in his tracks before cursing the logic and stormed off. His younger brother ran after him.

"Hey big bro wait for me! Kumo'd be nothing without their rhyming Bee!" he was cut off by a throaty bellow of "Aian Kurō!" and Bee was sent flying into the wall opposite Naruto, completely destroying a priceless painting.

"Or we could leave now and let them pay for hotel damages." Hiruzen cheerfully got up and started to pack as did everyone else grateful for the fox's tact. Naruto and his travelling party were ready to leave quite soon but they decided to send Naruto to look for Dog-san.

Tsuki-Chan found him in a tree giggling over some book until she saw the cover read "Icha Icha Paradise." If looks could kill that book would be dead. He quickly stowed it away when he saw Naruto looking over his shoulder and his fox leaking killing intent which made him sweat. He allowed himself to be dragged back to the group while talking about how he "got lost on the road of life" but most people were used to this by now. Hiruzen felt bad for the people who were to bump into the Raikage tonight as he took off into the sunset, heading home.

They had to travel for two days on their way back to Konoha mood better than it had been but Hiashi kept his "stick up the ass" act up around the elders. On the evening of the second day they broke free of the trees they travelled by and took to the road from which they could see the mighty walls of Konoha. They quickly entered Hiruzen returning some of the murmurs of "Hokage-sama" as they made their way to the tower. Hiruzen looked at them and smiled. "It seems we should part ways now. I'm glad that this has been a success." He looked to Naruto as he said that "Naruto you will be going back to the academy in two days or you could return tomorrow if you wish to. We should leave this matter with Kumo as to not start political problems. I'll be leaving to my office now." Hiruzen walked inside and the Hyuuga walked away sparing a last glance at Neji, Naruto took to the rooftops returning to what he called home. Racing his fox they were there within a couple of minutes.

**Hey Kit things went well I'd say. **Kurama was in a good mood after discovering Naruto could conjure up imaginary rabbits for him to feast on.

"Yeah, I'm glad that things went well. I think I'll return to school tomorrow." Naruto wasn't one to stay still for long.

**Well it seems since my day the ninja standards have dropped. Well of course nobody could stand up to the one who holds me. **He was lying next to a pond (if you could call it that) in Naruto's mindscape.

"Yeah well, I think I'll rest for the time being cos I'm most likely gonna be badgered for answers tomorrow." He went inside and lay down with his hands behind his head as he let sleep overtake him.

When he rose the next day he was ready to go. Dashing about grabbing his stuff he picked up an irritable Tsuki-Chan who was not a morning person. He was there a bit before most started arriving. He sat on his stool and poked the Nara sleeping in the next seat. He mumbled something in his sleep about being troublesome before he bothered to look at the person that was aggravating him.

"Oh so you're back." Shikamaru looked at Naruto expectantly. "So, where'd you go?" he was wondering if Iruka's announcement was true.

Naruto went through all that had transpired as Shikamaru listened for more than a minute actually interested and not falling asleep. He had to repeat this again and again before the class who kept arriving left him alone. Sasuke took his seat behind Naruto. His eyes boring into the back of Naruto's head. Tsuki-Chan's fur turned black and her eyes red as she turned around and glared at him, her teeth slightly exposed. Eerily white against the black. He flinched and avoided her gaze and suddenly found himself focusing on the book in front of him. She turned orange again and back to the front as Iruka walked in. He noticed that the new student had returned. The lessons went on similarly as they did on the second day. Sasuke again challenged Naruto to a spar.

"I had let my guard down against you dobe, I won't do that twice." Sasuke again challenging the younger boy. Proving once and for all Sasuke had no social life.

"You should really stop using the third person." (Please tell me you get the joke*) Naruto had really doubted the elder though.

Once again in the sparring field the two boys took their stances. Sasuke came forward sweeping low with his leg causing Naruto to jump into his next move a fist to the face which was intercepted before using Sasuke's momentum to throw him over his shoulder. Sasuke flipped around landing on his feet. He couldn't read the boy's fighting style; it was unpredictable and spontaneous. Whilst considering that he saw Naruto disappear in a blur only to find him right in front of him with a fist planted in his stomach sending him onto the ground. Getting up he ran through a series of hand seals before inhaling deeply Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu releasing a large fireball at Naruto he smirked as he didn't see the boy evade the attack. He looked afterwards only seeing charred earth and rock. An overall gasp rose from the onlookers. Inspecting further he saw something he had missed; a hole. A pair of paws and hands wrapped around his ankles before dragging him underground. Doton: Shinjuu Zanshu no Jutsu. Sasuke seethed at the boy crouched down viewing his handiwork with interest. And at Sasuke's demands he hauled him out of the ground and he insisted the match continue.

"Would it be easier for you if we didn't move?" Naruto was genuinely bored now.

"Do that and I'll kick your ass." Hissed Sasuke.

"Been there done that. To you anyways" Stated Naruto bluntly, Sasuke was enraged as he charged forwards again fist aiming at Naruto's face who had no intention of moving. Upon impact Sasuke was blown backwards by the sheer force of the collision. Something protection the boy as the other was sent into a tree. Naruto had released a wave of earth chakra sending the Uchiha flying. Staggering out he wasn't done yet but Naruto had other ideas. Grabbing Sasuke's left hand he began spinning him around off his feet until it looked like a miniature hurricane. When he let go he watched Sasuke go flying over the fence of the Academy and flying into Konoha.

"Aww it's gonna be a couple of kilometres shorter than your highscore. " Naruto pouted as he listened to his friend sing "I believe I can fly" as they watched Sasuke disappear from view.

The crowd was again shocked by this as they watched the distance Naruto had put between him and his opponent. Shikamaru who was watching the clouds above frowned as he saw a strange "bird" streak across his vision, it's call it's sounded very much like terrified shrieking. He brushed away that thought as he looked up to the clouds.

Naruto's days at the Academy usually took the same pattern; written lessons and the odd quiz and weaponry, Ninjutsu and sparring with Naruto generally beating Sasuke around. He was quite gentle with anyone else besides that guy and didn't wish to hurt them. The Genin Exams were fast approaching and Sasuke had become all the more desperate to become rookie of the year. On the day of the exams Naruto had written all the exams with ease performed the necessary Ninjutsu and was demonstrating his basic Fuuton and Doton techniques. When he performed the kage bunshin Mizuki saw it as time to intervene.

"You fail!" He bellowed slamming his hands down on the Oak desk in front of him. He was against Naruto knowing what he held inside of him.

"Mizuki? But why!" Iruka was truly shocked by this statement coming from who he considered a friend.

"He didn't perform the clone properly, he fails!" Mizuki would take any reason to stop this brat from graduating. He would become a threat to the village and he would do anything to stop that.

"Any clone is adequate for this test and he performed one that is Jounin level. All the more a reason to pass him." Iruka was insistent on this. And even his fox was capable of using the necessary jutsu and even more!

"I'll never let this demon join our ranks! He should have died when the Yondaime defeated him because you are the Nine Tailed Fox!" Mizuki expected the boy to freeze in shock as he attacked him but he was surprised by his response.

"You will be charged with treason for revealing an S-ranked secret Mizuki." Naruto didn't at all seem surprised by this. He shocked him further when he said "Don't turn around." Mizuki sneered before instinctively turning around only to see an animal mask and feel a blow the side if his neck. "Why is it that nobody listens to me?" He never did get why people did the exact opposite of what he says.

The ANBU picked up Mizuki and disappeared. Iruka looked to Naruto still quite shocked as it all sunk in and motioned for Naruto to take a Hitai-ate which he did looking very pleased with himself when he did. Tsuki-Chan took one and pretended that she didn't see Iruka's raised eyebrows. Naruto tied it around his forehead and around her neck as she enlarged herself unable to keep it around her neck as it would slip off. Iruka gazed into the distance thinking on what just happened before he was snapped out of it when he felt a small hand tug at his own. Naruto looked up at him sadly and gave him a hug. It was awkward for Iruka because the boy didn't even reach his waist in height but he returned it. They broke apart and Naruto left through the door giving Iruka a small smile before going off. No words needed to portray the emotions felt. They had grown close in the half of the year that they had known each other.

Naruto sat on the roof outside the academy next to Shikamaru who was watching the clouds, they had become good friends as Naruto was very good at shogi and wasn't too loud as he was a good strategist he always gave Shikamaru a good run for his money. He watched as the parents came and congratulated their children. He had a warm feeling seeing this but couldn't help but want that too. He watched Shikamaru leave with his father Shikaku. He decided it wasn't worth hanging around much longer as he darted home.

**Kit tomorrow's your team placement you might get Dog-san or whatever his name is as your sensei. **He hoped that his vessel would get chosen by this guy.

"Yeah I graduated in a bit less than a year so I hope I get him." Naruto was tired today as he decided to take it easy. He watched the sky darken as he sat among the leaves content as his fox lay across his stomach keeping him warm. He watched the stars come out as his eyes closed and a smile graced his face and he entered his mindscape. Leaning against one of Kurama's tails he said "Goodnight…daddy" he fell asleep before Kurama could say anything about it. But he was secretly happy that there was someone who didn't see him as demon.

**I guess I could fill in the role of father figure. ** He watched the boy sleep as he smiled to himself as he thought on how things could have been different but couldn't find a way to make things better than they already were.

Naruto was in the Academy especially early as he was fidgeting in his seat awaiting his team placement. He watched giggling as he saw Ino and Sakura fighting to sit next to Sasuke as they took both sides. The other girls had started arguing that they had been in class first as Sasuke sat there glaring at Naruto for laughing at his misfortune. Unfortunate Kiba had been shoved around by the girls they eventually pushed him into Sasuke's face resulting in a kiss as Kiba started to bawl about how he had been defiled and how Sasuke wasn't straight, Sasuke started muttering one thousand was for him to die. The girls fell quiet all eyes fixed on Kiba as it was broken by a series of cracking knuckles. They all started pummelling the life out of the poor boy. They all screamed about how _"He stole my first kiss with __**my **__Sasuke-kun!" _Naruto winced feeling bad for him as he saw that they left him as a mess of bruises lying on the floor just as Iruka walked in. Seeming better almost instantly Kiba took the stool next to Naruto while Sasuke glared at him as only an Uchiha could.

"I'll now be announcing the team placements now so listen up." It was one of the very few times that Iruka didn't have to shout. All eyes were on him as he started "First off I'll announce who the rookie of the year is." At this Sasuke looked extremely smug. "It's Uzumaki Naruto!" Naruto immediately brightened up at this while Sasuke's mouth widened slightly.

"How is that dobe the rookie of the year? I deserve that title! I'm an elite Uchiha!" Sasuke lost his cool after hearing that.

"Oh don't worry Sasuke-san you were second, we can't score you higher just because of your heritage." He didn't particularly favour him over anyone. Sasuke closed his mouth and started brooding. The teams list was called out. "Team seven: Uzumaki Naruto, Inuzuka Kiba and Hyuuga Hinata." Kiba and Naruto grinned at each other before turning around and smiling to the shy girl at the back. Sasuke chose now to have another outburst.

"Why aren't I on that dobe's team? He's the only one who can keep up with me!" Furious that he wasn't placed on a team with the classes strongest or second strongest in his opinion.

"Hmm I don't think so; I'm the one who could kick your ass from here to Iwa." Naruto put extra emphasis on the "your".

"We need to balance out the team's power. And team seven's Jounin sensei is Hatake Kakashi. Team Eight consists of Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura and Aburame Shino. Your Jounin sensei is Yuuhi Kurenai." Sasuke snorted in disgust but let him continue until "Team ten is Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru and Amikichi Chouji." He heard Ino wail about being stuck with a couple of losers while "Forehead girl" got to be with Sasuke. He left them to wait for their Jounin sensei. The teams all got picked up besides team seven.

"Man, why're we stuck here? I know we're the kickass team but c'mon what's the holdup?" Kiba was bored as he started playing about with Akamaru.

Naruto was dozing and suddenly sat up and sniffed before bolting to the door which had just swung open.

Now that was my longest chapter so far I think. 3900words. I hope to get at least 100 reviews by the end of this but I'd like people opinion as to whether or not to do a Naruto: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow arc. And yes I did make the mistake of making Naruto the youngest character of the series by accident. And yeah now he's an official ninja he will be using the Sharingan and the Byakugan. So yeah keep reviewing and I'll update faster. Thanks for any reviews I'll get? Plus when I said "stop using the third person" Sasuke's referring to himself as an idiot :p

Swirling Fishcake :P


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five:

Yeah! I'm gonna be having fun with this and I will never grow up. Finally gonna do the bell test and maybe the start of the Wave mission arc. I can't stand Sasuke and Sakura was always a bit rotten to Naruto so I'm swapping the teams around so you should all pity Shino. I know I've seriously overpowered Naruto but I'm not gonna make him stronger than Orochimaru…yet .

Naruto latched onto the leg of a Jounin who looked down in surprise. He had gravity defying silver hair and one eye covered by a Hitai-ate. He smiled when he saw who it was.

"Dog-san I graduated in one year like you told me to! Thanks for choosing me to be on your team." Naruto grinned at Kakashi from the leg he was clinging to.

"N-naru-chan d-do you k-know this p-person?" Hinata stuttered looking who was their Jounin sensei.

"Yes I'm your Jounin sensei." He smiled at them.

"Your late!" roared Kiba glaring at him.

"Yes, well done for stating the obvious. Meet me on the roof." He disappeared with Naruto and his fox.

A couple of minutes later they were settled on the roof in their newly formed team. All staring at him, "Introduce yourselves."

"What d-do you m-mean sensei?" Hinata stuttered.

"Your likes dislikes and so forth."

"Why don't you go first? We don't know anything about you." Kiba demanded, still irritated at the fact he was so late.

"Ok, my name is Kakashi I have many likes and dislikes and my hobbies are none of your business and I haven't really thought about my dream." His students sweat dropped thinking that they had only learned his name. "You first Inuzuka," he gestured to Kiba.

"My names Kiba and I like my dog Akamaru, I dislike stuck up emo's and my dream is to become the ultimate kickass ninja." Akamaru seemed to agree.

"The lady's next." He turned to Hinata.

"M-my n-name is Hyuuga H-hinata, I like p-pressing f-flowers and I dislike m-my friends g-getting hurt. My dream is to b-bec-come strong e-enough to be a g-good clan h-head." She looked away and started playing with her fingers.

"You're up blondie."

"My name's Naruto, I like Tsuki-Chan and I dislike the Uchiha and keeping secrets from those I trust and my dream is to become the Hokage." He smiled to his teammates before it faded. "Can I tell you something? I don't want to keep it from you and I don't want you to hate me either." He already knew those of Kakashi's rank would already know but he wanted to be able to trust his teammates.

"Of course you can! Why on earth would we hate you?" Kiba wanted to know and Hinata indicated he should go ahead as well.

"Well, you know about the attack on October 10th right?" they both nodded at this. "The Yondaime defeated the Kyuubi, but he couldn't kill it. He had to seal it away into a baby." They clearly hadn't caught on to what he was saying so he decided to prompt it a little bit "Do you know when my birthday is?" at that their eyes widened with realisation and he bit his lower lip, "Yeah… the baby was me…" he looked away waiting for their reactions. He was surprised when he felt an arm around his shoulders and Hinata shuffled towards him.

"Hey it's fine by me and it's not your fault cos you're not the fox anyways." Kiba assured him and Akamaru backed him up as well.

"I'll stand by you as well Naru-chan you're a good person." Hinata said it without a stutter for once.

**I like you two. **The other members of team seven and Kakashi froze before turning to the source of the voice. **Don't attack Kakashi. **The Jounin flinched before slipping his shuriken back into his pouch. **Okay I'm the Kyuubi and not the person who's talking she just has me sealed inside her in a two part seal and no I do not rampage and destroy when I'm not being controlled by people. This is a SS-ranked secret punishable by death so don't pull any stunts and yes the Hokage does know. **They were surprised that he answered their questions before they could voice them. Kakashi relaxed slightly but was still on his guard.

"Ok, that aside you are to meet me in training area seven at five o'clock in the morning. We'll have the true Genin tests there."

"WHAT? Then what was the point of the other test?" Kiba bellowed and Tsuki-Chan flinched before flattening her ears against her head, protection against the noise.

"Oh that was just to see who might possibly become Genin and this test has a 66% failure rate and I suggest you don't eat breakfast if you know what's good for you." He smiled with his visible eye before puffing into smoke.

"I think we should get to know each other better. Where do you think we should go?" Kiba looked to them Akamaru sitting on top of his head.

"Um, w-we could a-always g-go over to m-mine." Hinata was very hopeful at this.

"Yeah, that's a good idea." Naruto beamed at her and she blushed bright red. "Wanna ride?" Naruto asked.

They looked to them in confusion before he gestured to his fox who had grown much larger and was starting to shift shape her fur turned sky blue and her fur turned to scales and two wings sprouted from her back and a row of spines came up from her spine and her head sprouted a couple of Ivory horns and her claws were and oceanic blue but her eyes stayed the same and her ears changed smaller in proportion to her body and her snout had lengthened as well. They gaped at her as she blew a cloud of smoke at them. (Yes she shape-shifts into what she wants but it isn't a henge that dispels)

"W-wow." They looked up at her and Naruto who urged them forwards as he climbed on at the base of her neck, Kiba jumped onto her back with Akamaru sitting on his lap while Hinata shied away slightly. Before plucking up the courage to sit behind Kiba.

Lifting her wings she flapped once before climbing upwards and spiralling on an air thermal. She gained altitude and the air thinned slightly. Gliding she performed a lap of Konoha before they got over their initial disbelief and started talking.

"Wow. Since when could she do this?" Kiba was surprised by this and was curious.

"Always and it's not a jutsu just an ability of hers while I have mine." Naruto turned to look at them adjusting so his back lay against her neck.

"Y-your ability?" Hinata looked to him.

"Ok another secret, I trust you guys anyways." Naruto decided these guys he could trust completely so he transformed into a fox as they stared in awe at the change. "And another S-ranked secret." Naruto activated his Sharingan and stared at them before activating his Byakugan. Tsuki-Chan turned her head towards them and did the same.

"The Byakugan…" Hinata was shocked by this as she saw her ability in her teammates' eyes.

"AND the Sharingan, but why is it blue?" Kiba looked on with equal disbelief. They had retained their eye colour when it changed into the Sharingan instead of the normal malicious red.

Naruto changed back.** No we are not Uchiha or Hyuuga and it's a story for another day or Hinata could ask Hiashi. Where exactly is your compound? When we rescued you we didn't exactly know where we were. **Hinata looked down to Konoha which was beneath her like a map as she pointed out her home. **I'll get us there. **Flying until she was over it although still high above she turned to them **do ya think I could drop you off here? **Naruto nodded before making sure he had taken off his weights he jumped straight off her back before plummeting to the ground below. His teammates looked over her side shocked. ** Don't worry you won't need to do it like that. **She decided to shrink slightly carrying less people before dropping down quickly she spiralled around her friend who grinned like a fox that he now was.

Suddenly a flap of skin connected to his arm to his feet in the fashion of a flying squirrel as he took the spread eagle position as he glided downwards accompanied by his dragon who had folded her wings against her body as she watched her friend use the air currents to keep pace with her as she suddenly snapped open her wings as she landed gently on the roof near to the compound. And Naruto glided as he landed next to her the wings he acquired now gone as he got back into his clothes and his human form.

Hinata jumped down welcoming the ground beneath her feet while Kiba was ecstatic "That was so cool! Who's up for round two?" the crickets in the background chose this time to chirrup. He sweat dropped as Akamaru seemed to laugh at him. Turning back to Tsuki-Chan he saw in the place of a dragon; a fox with a miniature Hitai-ate wrapped around her neck. Hinata lead them to the clan entrance.

She was greeted by the branch members who permitted her and her teammates entry immediately. They stopped outside the largest house in the compound before entering. They walked past many branch members before knocking on a door and going in.

"Hello Otou-san." Hinata kneeled on the mats which covered the room. "Today we were placed in teams." The boys quickly followed her example.

"Ah hello there Naruto-kun, Hinata who's your other friend?" Hiashi looked to Kiba.

"He's Inuzuka Kiba."

Naruto grinned "You can drop the act Hiashi, I put up a sound blocking seal." At this Hiashi instantly relaxed.

"Thanks Naruto, can't drop it that often." Hiashi looked at Kiba again. "Your Tsume's boy aren't you?"

"Yeah I am." He was surprised by the way the Hyuuga clan head was acting. Every Hyuuga acted so pompous he expected the Head to be the worst of the lot.

"Hey Hiashi? Could you tell me about the Byakugan and Jyuuken? I don't know much about your abilities but it seems I could do them." Naruto looked up to the clan head hopefully.

"Of course Naruto it would be the least we could do." Hiashi wouldn't mind teaching the boy especially if it could get him away from the clan duties.

Later they sparred in the dojo Hiashi told Naruto the basics of the Jyuuken and Byakugan and he and his fox had taken to it like fish to water and was now capable of blocking the enemy's tenketsu and controlling the chakra to their will and his fox decided to try channelling chakra through her senbon to do the same effect. She now kept a senbon poking out of her mouth like a tooth pick. Hinata was slightly jealous that Naruto within a day was already close to mastering his abilities. By the end of the day Naruto was the most battered out of everyone. Hiashi was really impressed by his progress and decided to train the boy, not exactly apprenticeship but still studying under him. He expected that in another day he could use the Kaiten.

"I…Think…I'll… go home." Naruto collapsed against the wall breathing heavily. Hinata and Kiba were tired as well.

"You guys could go." Hiashi grinned; it was fun to beat the younger generations about while they looked at you trying to figure out why they couldn't land a hit.

They departed and Naruto sat on Tsuki-Chan as she decided to soar over Konoha straight home too tired to do much else. Crashing into bed they slept until three o'clock in the morning when they pack some meats and took it to the training ground where they found a tree and slept under the roots at the base of the tree in the centre of the training grounds and deciding being a fox was better he tore at the meat until he was contentedly full and decided to go back to sleep next to Tsuki-Chan, knowing Kakashi they'd be able to get another few hours of sleep. While they slept Hinata and Kiba arrived at that tree as well. They looked really tired Akamaru slept inside of Kiba's Jacket. They watched the dog enviously. Kakashi decided to get there at nine o'clock instead of the said five o'clock.

"Hey there sorry I'm late a marshmallow ate me and I had to eat my way out." Kakashi waved to them as he strolled there like he had all the time in the world.

"DON'T EVEN BOTHER LIE YOU'RE LATE!" Kiba's roar scared the poor puppy who was sleeping quite deeply.

"Not the latest." Kakashi pointed out that the third member was apparently absent. At that moment a roar sounded from the tree and a large amount of Killing intent spread out from it. They were blasted back from the tree and as they looked they saw two demonic red eyes glowing from the shadows as a growl ripped into their ears as the eyes seemed to grow as a shadowy figure came out from among the roots. Apprehension gripped them but when they blinked they saw a miniature fox sitting in a beam of light from between the leaves her blue eyes sparkling with mischief as she said "Boo." They all face faulted at that.

Kiba looked down at his jacket which was now wet and a puddle was forming at his feet "Dammit Akamaru!" Kiba took off his jacket and started wringing it out.

Another fox stepped forwards "Sure blame the dog" he grinned at them.

"Naruto! What do you mean by that?" Kiba's face flushed red at the remark.

"Naruto?" Kakashi asked incredulously.

"'Sup" Said Naruto still laughing to himself at Kiba's reaction.

**Oh yeah ignore the one who scared the crap outta you. **Tsuki-Chan pouted eyes changing to blue.

"Ok that aside now's the real test, you have until noon to get these bells from me and you can you any means necessary to get them and there are only two bells so one of you is sure to fail and if you don't get one you don't get lunch and I will eat it in front of you." Kakashi smiled at them holding up two bells and two bentos.

"That's w-why you t-told us n-not to eat b-breakfast?" Hinata asked.

"Not entirely, it was only a suggestion." Naruto brought a leg up and scratched behind his ears.

"If you're ready we could start now." Kakashi took out a book and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Where'd you think he went?" Kiba looked around.

Naruto pressed his nose to the ground sniffing before he sat up and pointed into the cover of trees. Hinata activated her Byakugan and looked that way as she confirmed that their sensei was sitting in a tree _reading _of all things.

"I think we should surround him then strike hard and get the bells before retreating."

"Hell yeah, he will pay for underestimating us."

"Tsuki-Chan will set traps so beware of those." Naruto, Kiba and Hinata all took their positions around Kakashi's tree waiting for the signal. Kakashi had noticed them and was mentally congratulating Kiba for stealth as he hadn't yet noticed Naruto or Hinata. Kakashi saw a squirrel bounding from tree to tree before stopping on his own and approaching slowly. When it dropped to all fours he saw something. The eyes were blue. The moment it's paws touched the tree, bindings formed of wood snaked around his arms and legs. He cursed as he saw the squirrel's features change and her fur turn orange. He saw a twin set of hurricanes spiralling towards him as he only just managed to escape from his bindings and dodge them he saw Hinata coming forwards at him with her Jyuuken as he dodged her strike to the chest he put distance between them as he threw shuriken at her as she backflipped and sidestepped. A yellow fox leapt at him a fist balled and aimed at his face. _Sloppy _he kicked it the chest as he didn't see it grinning in success and focused on Kiba and Akamaru who had come back with a barrage of punches and kicks Kakashi decided to take this into the clearing where he could see all attacks coming and then Kiba and Akamaru still threw punches Kakashi caught one with his arm while ducking under a kick from another Man-Beast clone before he got a sadistic glint in his eye which would have put Ibiki to shame.

"Sennen Goroshi" he found his fingers in the place the sun don't shine. Kiba howled as he rocketed into the sky disappearing in a twinkle among the endless blue. Kakashi turned to Akamaru with the maniacal glint in his eye was all it took to turn the clone back into a puppy with it's tail between it's legs, like protection from that technique.

"Aren't you a little bit too old to be playing Kancho?" Naruto strolled up to Kakashi his paws behind his back.

"No stealth whatsoever." He chided him but instantly regretted it as Naruto pulled out a book and Tsuki-Chan who had changed back into a dragon released a steady stream of flames inches away from the book. "No…NO! ANYTHING BUT THE BOOK!" Kakashi panicked as he moved towards it.

"Move and it burns." Tsuki-Chan was clearly enjoying this as Kakashi fell to his knees crying about how his students could be so cruel. Kakashi took out the bells as a trade offering and threw them to Naruto who exchanged them for his oh so precious book.

-Somewhere over the rainbow-

Minato, Hashirama and Tobirama watched from their place wherever it was as Kakashi called out to his sensei about how cruel his son was. "He had it coming, who knew one of the strongest in the village would cry at the hands of a four year old?" the past Hokages snickered as they heard Kakashi send up a cry to them.

"I swear to Kami, if he corrupts my son I'll haunt him." Minato grinned down at the scene.

"No that's a woman's job." Kushina wacked Minato over the head slightly as he pouted at her.

"Granted." Kami smiled at them, he hadn't had this much entertainment in a few hundred years.

They all turned back to watch what happened next mischievous chins on their faces. (And no when they are resurrected they won't remember this stuff.)

"Don't worry, daddy's got you." He cradled it as Naruto sweat dropped and Hinata stepped out from the forest. Naruto's and Tsuki-Chan's ears twitched as they looked upwards before grinning to each other watching the oblivious Kakashi as he was to meet his doom.

"Three,"

"Two,"

"One,"

At that moment Kakashi looked up just in time to see a flying Kiba crash down onto him. His book was dropped onto the floor as he crumpled on impact. Kiba stood up slowly and picked up the book in front of him before opening the first page. "Don't do it!" Kakashi's cry fell on deaf ears as Kiba started to read and five seconds later he toppled back sporting a huge nosebleed. "I warned him." Kakashi sighed as he slung Kiba over his shoulders as they went back towards the central tree and set him down against it with Akamaru holding the bell Naruto gave him and Hinata holding hers. Kakashi looked around at them and smiled "You pass!"

"U-um Kakashi-sensei i-isn't one o-of us s-supposed to fail?" Hinata was glad but also curious.

"It was a challenge to see if you could all work together to achieve your main objective." He was pleased with their performance as they were the first even team of his to pass.

Hinata scratched Naruto behind the ears as he made a sound very much like purring. Kiba stirred and looked about before looking at the bell Akamaru had. "Ha! I knew you could do it Akamaru we pass."

"Yes Kiba we've established that." Kakashi made sure to keep his book out of sight. "We're an official Genin team so we should report to Hokage-sama and get your info cards filled out then we'll go on our first mission." He turned to look at Kiba who had already gone leaving a smoke after-image. Hinata blushed when she realised who she was petting and Naruto seemed disappointed when she stopped. Tsuki-Chan laughed at them feeling sorry for the age differences. Naruto dragged his stuff out from under the roots before changing back into his human state yanking his black jacket on. Tsuki-Chan waited as he jumped onto her back. They looked to Hinata expectantly. She gulped loudly as she climbed onto the dragon who took off immediately. Flapping and gaining height before drifting lazily on the winds that carried her towards the Hokage Tower. They looked down spying a line of dust being kicked up by who they assumed was Kiba. Naruto and Hinata decided to land on the roof for the latter's sake as they jumped through the window they saw Sarutobi attacking a stack of papers with a rubber stamp.

"Hi Jiji!" Naruto took the old man completely by surprise.

"Naruto, don't scare old people. You might kill them." Hiruzen stopped as they walked round to the front of his desk. "What is it?"

"We passed!" Naruto beamed at him and Hiruzen smiled down at him.

"Good, good you need to fill out your ninja info cards etc." Just then Kiba rushed in almost destroying the door while his puppy quivered at the speeds they had been travelling.

"First!" he thrust his arm in victory as he stood there panting heavily.

"Not quite," Hinata giggled as he toppled forwards, twitching on the ground. Hiruzen cleared his throat as he brought out three cards and left them on the desk.

Hinata and Kiba had their photos taken and were tracking down Kakashi in order to bring him in on time for their first mission. Naruto had handed in his info card and photo when he suddenly threw a shuriken at the door where a boy had been hiding.

"Oyabun! You ruined my surprise attack against Jiji!" Konohamaru fell face first onto the ground tripping on his scarf.

"I told you to stop that Ko, it won't make you the Hokage before I am, I've already graduated." Naruto grinned at his "rival" as he collected his shuriken. Team eight walked in looking haggard.

"Looks like you've already failed huh dobe?" came the smug voice from behind him.

"Look what the cat dragged in" said Naruto eyeing Sasuke who scowled at him.

"At least I passed!"

"Who said I didn't"

That silenced Sasuke as he took it in his teammates didn't bother to interfere. "How? Your Jounin sensei hasn't passed anyone so far. Why did you pass? And it's supposed to be a gruelling challenge which breaks people and they give up their shinobi career."

"Things are seriously over-exaggerated." He waved it off.

Kiba walked in dragging Kakashi who was still reading until he saw who was in the room and he hastily stowed it away. He nodded to Kurenai as he walked forwards "Hokage-sama we'll take our first d-rank mission."

"Why do they get a mission before me when I'm clearly superior?"Sasuke was bragging about how great he was as Sakura watched him but Naruto bent down to Akamaru as he whispered into to puppy's ear before handing him a treat as he ran at Sasuke and bit him in the crotch. He wailed as he fell to the ground, Hiruzen winced and Sakura stared on in shock as Kiba fell on the floor laughing as he praised Akamaru. Tsuki-Chan saw it as the appropriate time to take out her ear plugs.

"Sasuke the next time you do that I'll set Tsuki-Chan on you and you won't be able to revive your clan, got it?" Sasuke looked to the fox who's red eyes were on him like he was her prey as he scrambled over to the far wall he hugged his knees as he rocked back and forth on his butt. All men besides Kiba flinched at the message.

"Ok your first mission is retrieval. The details are in the scroll, for now you are dismissed."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

As they walked out Kiba couldn't resist one more comment to Sasuke "Oh, how the mighty hath fallen." He smirked as he saw the great Uchiha flinch when he saw Akamaru bare his teeth.

Tora the Daiyamo's cat was hiding in the forests around Konoha. Team seven stalked the cat as Kiba and Akamaru burst into the clearing and as soon as he grabbed Tora she started clawing at Kiba's face darting off as Hinata threw deliberately aimed shuriken guiding her to Naruto as she jumped into his arms safe from the beating Kiba wanted to give it. She purred content as they headed back to the Hokage tower but she struggled when she saw the Daiyamo's wife as she scooped Tora into her arms crushing the life out of it as Kiba eagerly thought _that's right! Crush the life out of that Demon! _Naruto felt bad for the cat as they received the mission pay.

Tora darted out of the door as soon as the death grip slackened. "Who's up for the next Tora retrieval mission?" Hiruzen asked cheerfully.

"I am!" Naruto would go again but his teammates shot him death glares. "Alone." As soon as Hiruzen dismissed Naruto he whistled and Tsuki-Chan walked in carrying a struggling Tora who was crying fountains of anime tears.

"Mission Complete!" Naruto looked happy with himself as the Hokage raised an eyebrow and gave him the mission pay sending the poor cat back to the hell which was the Daiyamo's wife's arms much to Kiba's delight.

"Hey, when do we get a better mission? I'm pretty sure that our Tora catching rate is pretty high so can't we get a real mission?" Kiba didn't want to have to catch the cat again as it jumped out the window pursued by Tsuki-Chan.

"I think I'll trust you with a basic escort c-ranked mission." Hiruzen watched from the corner of his eye as he saw Tora clinging to the window sill in a futile attempt to escape as she was dragged into a kitty carrier. "Send the client in!"

Finally, finished! I know I should make these chapters longer but they will be when I finish these filler arcs and I won't kill Haku and Zabuza. So that is my new longest Chapter and yeah I know it's pretty short. Reviews appreciated. And Naruto is able to fly as a fox by gathering wind Chakra under his wings or I'll get him to fly like Tails the fox cos each time he gets stronger he gains a fox tail I think. No it's not gonna be NaruHina cos Naruto's a four year old and Hinata's currently twelve. I made him younger so later on he could spend time with his parents as they don't miss too much of his childhood.

Swirling Fishcake :P


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six:

The client staggered in clearly drunk and he reeked of sake. He looked over who were to be his bodyguards with a critical eye before taking another long sip from his bottle, liquid dribbling down his chin.

"I asked for bodyguards and I get a bunch of wet behind the ears brats? Is that little one even a ninja?" Tazuna was obviously unimpressed by his bodyguards.

"I'm the little one aren't I?" everyone in the room felt a little bad for Naruto at that point who didn't even come up to the builders waist.

"What was that?" Kiba growled Akamaru snarled as well. They were never gonna get along were they?

"I assure you Tazuna-san that they are perfectly good protection." Hiruzen tried to keep the peace before Kiba went and tore out the geezer's throat out.

"Yeah well, you better guard me well cos I'mma very important guy in the construction of my super bridge." Tazuna leaned against the wall for support.

"We will meet at the gates in an hour, Kakashi get there on time or you'll be doing solo Tora missions for a month." Kakashi nodded and for once moved in a hurry.

"Ok guys let's go who wants to bet on what time Kakashi gets there?" the three Genin walked out of the room to prepare and Tazuna went and got his stuff as well.

They were still talking as they approached the gates "I swear Naruto; there is no way in hell that Kakashi will be there before…" Kiba trailed of as he turned the corner "…us"

Kakashi stood there leaning against the walls as he called them over, they instantly attacked him, raining shuriken, kunai and punches left, right and centre. "Kakashi or whoever you are wouldn't be here first! You must be an imposter." The whole of Konoha knew of Kakashi's infamous late habits so upon hearing this ninja started aiding the Genin in capturing "Kakashi" who was thinking _I'm not always that late am I? _When they finally stopped him they had Inoichi go through his mind and Kiba sniffed at him confirming the fact he was Kakashi. Freeing him he did the one thing that told them he was the genuine article.

"I'm going to make a note to _never _be on time again!" Kakashi was irritable as he whipped out his Icha Icha Paradise at this but it was worse when he heard Naruto.

"Oh don't worry I knew it was you but it was lots of fun to watch." Naruto stepped back as it took the majority of the people there to restrain the enraged Kakashi who was muttering Ibiki's 101 ways to die in Naruto's direction and he almost got him when he saw him put earplugs in.

They left an hour late but it was still a couple of hours earlier than predicted. They travelled on for a few hours undisturbed as Naruto eagerly took in his surroundings this being the second time he'd left the village. That was until he noticed a puddle on the road which he analysed indirectly as he could smell humans coming from it. Tsuki-Chan walked past it whilst dropping an exploding tag into the "puddle" went they were a few metres away from it, it detonated and two ninjas darted out from it. "Damn you! You bitch!" they had a chain from between them and they wrapped it around Kakashi before tugging on it and tearing him apart. (My parents know I'm writing this so I exclude swearwords.)

"One I am not a dog making me a vixen and two **… HOW DARE YOU?**" Tsuki-Chan's roar sent them flying as Naruto threw shuriken lodging the chain into a nearby tree as he morphed. Kiba and Akamaru teamed up against one of them with their Gatsuuga landing a direct hit sending the missing-nin back as Naruto and Tsuki-Chan used theirs on the other the blue chakra dealing more damage as their attack found home. The chain snapped as the first one recovered and ran at Hinata who was guarding Tazuna. She froze in fear as she saw the oncoming ninja but at that moment a blur of yellow obscured her vision and when she could see again she saw the missing-nin had been sent flying into their Jounin sensei who had the other ninja under his arm as he caught the one flying to him. She looked down to see a very pissed looking Naruto who had his hackles raised and his fur on end as he growled at the ninja he had sent flying. He turned seeing that Hinata was alright he smiled at her. Tazuna let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. Kakashi had tied up the ninja and set them against a tree as he had summoned one of his ninken to ask for a team of ANBU to pick them up. Hinata sat on the ground as she watched Kiba and Akamaru return to normal and Naruto retrieved his equipment and clothes which had fallen form his as he changed.

"Oh Tazuna?" Kakashi spoke in an overly cheerful voice which was more suited to Anko.

He shivered quite visibly at that as he flinched under his stare "I'm in deep shit aren't I?"

Tsuki-Chan snatched the sake bottle out of his hands as she chided him on use of language around children. "I'd say about waist height." Kakashi beckoned Tazuna to follow his as he got him to spill the full story.

The genin sat under the tree as Naruto curled up in Hinata's lap as she petted him absent minded as Tsuki-Chan unsealed a teddy bear and started to play with it. Akamaru tugging at one of the arms while she swatted him away and Kiba snickered as they looked like a married couple.

"You guys okay?" Hinata let out a small 'eep' as she jumped up and started playing with her fingers. She nodded as she blushed and Kiba grunted. Naruto looked sad before he got a cheeky grin before dilating his eyes so they were impossibly large and dropped his ears brining up his paws and cocking his head slightly. (Imagine cute eyes larger than Puss in Boots) Hinata again completely forgot it was Naruto and let him jump into her lap as he winked at Tsuki-Chan who rolled her eyes at him. Tsuki-Chan gathered some flowers and started creating an elaborate flower crown as Kakashi approached with Tazuna in tow.

"It seems that this guy needs serious help because-"

"Ha! I knew he was a nutter!" Kiba pointed a triumphant finger at him.

"No, there's a person called Gato who's oppressing his country and they are sending ninja after him and they can't afford ninja so do you think we should continue this mission? It will be bumped up to an A-ranked mission." His one eye scanned their reactions. Naruto seemed determined to go on and so did Kiba who was excited by the fact his mission will be raised to an A-rank. Hinata still seemed nervous.

"Naruto and I will go on, what about you Hinata?" Kiba turned to the last member of the team. She fidgeted with her fingers before glancing down at the yellow fox tugging at her leg.

"Nee-chan I wouldn't let anything bad happened to you we could get through this but are you up for it?" suddenly emboldened she stood a little straighter and nodded determinedly.

"Thank you guys so much, seems like I under estimated you guys." Tazuna was cheerful seeing these ninja fighting in action he could really finish his bridge.

Sitting under a tree quietly, Tsuki-Chan drew in her sketch pad a picture of team seven and smiled at the sky as her tail drew the delicate lines of ink across the page. _Seems that everything's progressing nicely._ The wind ruffled her fur seemingly in answer as she looked to the clouds overhead. _Damn the Nara habit._

As the quickly set off on guard for any further ambushes clouds formed a blanket overhead as they sat in a boat as they entered the wave country. Naruto and Tsuki-Chan taking the front as the latter suddenly stiffened and poked her head into a bush sending a bunny scurrying away as her eyes narrowed and she and Naruto shared a look before they tackled Hinata and Kiba to the ground, Kakashi took Tazuna just in time as a giant cleaver whistled overhead before embedding itself in a tree with a man stood upon the blade.

"Momochi Zabuza A-ranked missing-nin from Kirigakure, Master of silent killing." Naruto looked up at the large man who quirked an eyebrow. Well… he would have if he had eyebrows anyways.

"You know your stuff squirt, Sharingan no Kakashi of Konoha huh? Let's see if you live up to your reputation." Zabuza tore his Kubikiribōchō from the trunk of the tree as he looked at his opponents, battle ready years of experience.

"Guys, triangle formation around Tazuna." The genin hastily formed a triangle with Naruto at it's point.

Kakashi raised his headband revealing his Sharingan with it's tomoe spinning. Zabuza didn't at all look impressed. He jumped onto the water and raised his hands on above his head each in a half Tora seal. Thick mist rolled in and Zabuza disappeared from sight.

"Hinata activate your Byakugan…" Naruto spoke in hushed tone "Kiba you could sniff him out." Both teammates hurriedly complied as they started searching. Naruto felt something nudge his leg and he peered down at his fox who yipped at him. He arched and eyebrow and gave a discreet nod.

Killing intent rolled through the mist as Zabuza let out a deep chuckle "Throat, spinal column, lungs, liver, the jugular vein, the subclavia-" he stopped short as another suffocating killing intent completely dwarfed his own. A chakra enhanced roar blew all of the mist away sending Zabuza back from the blast. Red eyes bore into Zabuza as he stared at the fox that had done that. He blinked once, then twice "How the _hell_ am I getting beat by some Chibi Kitten?" Zabuza oblivious to his mistake didn't see the tick developing above Tsuki-Chan's eye.

Naruto backed up and sat down "Well this will be fun." His teammates stared at him as if he was crazy. Tsuki-Chan let out a low growl before disappearing Zabuza stared around on alert before he found himself buried halfway through a tree. Coughing up blood he glared down to see the Chibi holding an outstretched fist.

**You **_**dare**_** call the greatest of the nine Bijuu a CHIBI? ** From that paw three chakra claws sprouted and she slashed at his head as he just managed to duck as he saw it cleaved cleanly through the trunk. Zabuza ran for it with an enraged fox at his tail swiping at his trouser legs as it ran on it hinds legs? Kakashi stared on as he watched an A-ranked ninja being comically chased around by a three inch fox. Next to Naruto stood on of Tsuki-Chan's kage bunshin with a video camera. It chuckled as it zoomed in on Zabuza's face as he screamed profanities. He started going through hand seals which Kakashi mimicked before they called out.

"Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu." Twin water dragons rose from the lake as they battled but Kakashi's overwhelmed Zabuza's as he was lacking control which avoiding tooth and claw. Kakashi's dragon headed straight for Zabuza catching up to him as he ran from the fox and water missile. To everyone's surprise besides Naruto Tsuki-Chan allowed herself to be engulfed by the dragon.

_I really messed up when we went into that comic store didn't i?_

_Flashback _

_Naruto and Tsuki-Chan stood outside a brightly coloured store as they gazed in and saw the shelves packed with manga books and anime videos. Upon entering they found it teeming with kids. Instantly drawn to one labelled Pokémon they looked inside and almost cleared the shelf of the books. They instantly found inspiration for new jutsu after reading them, and new transformations._

_End Flashback._

"Oh he's _sooo_ dead." Naruto sat up attentively Sharingan activated.

"Why's that otouto?" Hinata crouched down next to his as he stared at the dragon.

"Three, two, one…"

The water dragon suddenly expanded as more water chakra was pumped into the jutsu before a glow from the centre spread throughout it with electricity coursing through it as it reared up and roared. It doubled it's speed as Kakashi no longer controlled it. It hit Zabuza square in the back as the force from the water and electrical surge coursed through him he managed to hear. "Ranton: ikazuchi no ryuu." Being hurled a good hundred meters as he came to a stop he saw,

"Otouto is that?"

"Are you serious?"

"Pikachu!" The lightning mouse grinned up at them.

"What did you expect?" Naruto turned to them, tail bobbing. In all truthfulness they didn't know what to expect, as Kakashi went over to Zabuza to finish him before the paralysis wore off.

"How? Could you see the future?" Zabuza weakly craned his neck to stare his executor in the face.

"Yes, your future," Kakashi readied a kunai to end the life of the demon before him. "Is death."

Two senbon flew from the tree above them as Kakashi was about to plunge the kunai into the Legendary Swordsman's heart, and pierced his neck as the Demon of the Mist's eyes widened before his body went slack. Kakashi kneeled by the prone figure before standing up, finding no pulse.

A hunter-nin leaped down from the perch on the branches and landed next to Zabuza. "Thank you for defeating him, he has been quite elusive." The figure bent down and picked Zabuza up his gaze never leaving the Konoha party as the stared at him. Haku was glad for the mask as he was unsure if he could keep his expression as blank as his voice and mask.

"Oh then let us disposed of the body for you." Naruto stared long and hard at the Nin before he suddenly disappeared in a shunshin.

"Pfft I wasn't finished." The Pikachu pouted as he watched them leave as she turned her back on the scene "Fake,"

"Yeah I know…" Naruto scratched her between the ears as they watched they direction the two missing-nin had retreated in.

"Why didn't you play with me?" Tsuki-Chan looked up at him.

"Cos if I did we would have killed him."

"So?"

"You guys took on an A-ranked Nin and you're arguing that you didn't get a chance to play?" Kiba stared at them incredulously as they bickered. Kakashi looked on, clearly concentrating.

"Zabuza's not dead." Kakashi looked at his genin trio and companions from where he was crouched near the tree. "Senbon don't kill if they pierce the neck."

Tsuki-Chan whispered something to Naruto "Yeah, he won't be back for at least a week. He was put in a temporary death state."

"How do you know all this stuff?" Kiba had finished recovering from the shock of being exposed to such powerful killing intent, "do you specialise in everything or what?"

"I'm going with or what." Naruto jerked a thumb at Pikachu "The senbon in her mouth isn't just for show." Tsuki-Chan spat it out as it landed right in the tree above Kiba's head but a mere millimetre higher.

"Did I ever tell you how glad I am that you're on our side?" Kiba yanked it out of the tree and twirled it between his fingers.

"No, I don't think so."

Kiba cocked an eyebrow as he handed the weapon back, "Consider it said." Tsuki-Chan replaced it between her lips as her red cheeks sparked with static electricity. "Why the hell do you turn into that manga character? I mean c'mon who would that intimidate?" He jabbed a finger at the lightning mouse who gave an affronted sniff.

"That's the point," Kiba still hadn't caught on, "If you were attack by something that looked like it had jumped straight out of your kids TV would you take it as a threat?" still blank faced and not getting it. "Exactly why you wouldn't expect a kunai at your throat a moment later."

"Translation please?" Kiba did not understand the language if you could call it that, Tsuki-Chan was speaking.

-A whole lot of tedious explaining later-

"Oh, that makes sense!" Kiba grinned flashing his pointed canines.

"Y-yes Kiba-kun it does." They were to take off on the last stretch of the journey home, still on guard for the ambushes which seem to be an ever more frequent occurrence. Tazuna had visibly brightened as he took the lead, his home in sight despite of the light mist that seemed to ever lingering over the watery landscape.

Walking up to his door Tazuna rapped loudly on it, "Tsunami! Inari! I'm home!" the door flew open revealing a young woman with black hair and a bluish sheen, she instantly started fussing over them and what a long journey they must've had.

Tsuki-Chan arched her back and stretched out like a cat but reacted too late when she noticed Tsunami staring at her, "Ooh, it is sooo cute! Is it wild? Can I keep it?" Tsunami glomped onto her as the poor fox how was currently the size of a kitten struggled to free herself but her efforts started slacking as she was starved of oxygen. _Poor Tora… how do you put up with it? _

"Maa sorry would you not mind putting my student's partner down? She's suffocating." Tsunami gasped as she dropped the fox to the floor who went and sought sanctuary behind Naruto who was seated on his haunches.

"Sorry about that." She smiled sheepishly as she bent down to Tsuki-Chan who shied away, "Who's pet is that?"

Naruto's fur puffed up at that comment "She is not a pet! She is my partner." Tsunami glanced around looking for the source of voice.

Inari walked round the corner then ran up to his grandfather and hugged him "Grandpa why are these guys here? There's no way that they can beat Gato, they're all gonna die." He looked at them from his place at his grandfather's side.

"What do you mean brat?" Kiba was fuming at such a blasé insult to his pride, "me and Akamaru could take on that guy anyday! Right Akamaru?" the nin-ken at his side growled in confirmation at this statement.

Inari just walked out and closed the door rubbing salt in the wound, the Inuzuka muttered about how he'd show him as depression set in as an almost tangible thing and Hinata went to comfort him.

"I'm going to go and train my students in the week we have before we have to fight again we'll be back later." Kakashi inclined his head lazily as he led his students into the nearby forests. Unknown to them; followed by Inari.

Kakashi stopped when they reached a clearing surrounded by trees "alright we're going to increase your chakra control and capacities."

"Alright this is gonna be easy! Me and Akamaru will have it down in no time." Akamaru wagged his tail awaiting the oncoming challenge.

"Umm Kakashi-sensei how are we to do that?" she had started to lose her stutter as she gained confidence found within her teammates.

"We will be climbing trees." He eye-smiled at them as they gave him varied reactions.

"That's pointless! We can do that already, right boy?" Akamaru nodded looking offended by being given such an easy task.

"Well it's not so easy if you don't use your hands." He was rewarded with dubious looks as he formed a handseal and stepped forwards to the trunk in front of him and walked up it and hung parallel to the ground on a branch. He smiled at the looks of wonder that he received _ah to be young again. _Kiba seemed to have taken back his earlier comment.

"Hey, hey! Sensei! How'd you do that?" Kiba was bouncing up and down eagerly waiting to learn that new skill.

"You gather the precise amount of chakra needed at the soles of your feet and use it to stick to the surface of the trunk." He threw three kunai at them as they bent down to pick them up. "Run as far as you can up the tree, mark how high you can go before you fall." The three of them darted straight at the tree, Kiba and Akamaru managed about one step while Hinata managed to get a little less than halfway up the tree, Naruto and Tsuki-Chan sat comfortably amongst the very top of the tree, Tsuki-Chan seated on Naruto's head as they watched their friend's efforts to climb the trees.

"Naruto! You can't use your claws, it's cheating!" Kiba feeling put out that he had made the least progress. Then he noticed the tree was unmarked by tell-tale scratches.

"Well it seems Naruto has already mastered this exercise and Hinata's got good control anyway, Kiba seems to have a long way to go." Kakashi baited his student who took it straight away.

"Oh yeah?" Akamaru yipped in challenge "Well I'll have this down before the week is over! Let's go Akamaru." Running straight at the tree and again making little progress, it was annoying to see his pup doing better than he was. Inari watched all this from behind a tree and turned his back and started to make his way home, a image flashed up in his mind and he was again reminded why Gato would always keep his chokehold on his country, because if Kaiza couldn't do it then no-one could.

In the evening Hinata had already mastered the tree walking and Kiba had made a little progress, Naruto spent his day sparring with his partner and destroying half of the forest whilst doing so, he let Tsuki-Chan carry him back to Tazuna's afterwards and slumped in a seat next to Kiba. Tsunami started chiding them gently about not overworking their selves whilst serving the dinner. Under the table Inari clenched his fists as he glared at the younger boy opposite him from under his hat, his hands trembled as a tear fell down his face.

"Why…" he sniffed quietly but all the people at the table heard him, "Why do you try so hard?" he lifted his face, tears freely running in streams down his face, "no matter how hard you try you'll never defeat Gato! Just go home!" shivers racked his body as he turned his face down to his untouched food.

"When we took this mission we decided to protect your Grandfather, we will defeat this Gato who has brought your town to this." Naruto replied evenly to the distraught child in front of him.

"What do you know? This isn't your town! You act like you can do anything but when those guys come it just shows that nothing can be done and there aren't such things as heroes! It's just a childish fantasy!" Inari slammed his hands down on the table and glared at the blonde, ignoring the growls he received from Kiba and Akamaru and the fleeting glances from Hinata.

"Well then, I'll just have to make those 'childish fantasies' a reality then." Naruto met the dubious shouts of opposition with a slightly saddened gaze, he saw how hurt the boy before him was and it pained him to see a smiling boy in the picture above him reduced to such an emotional wreck. He never really had many precious people to lose but from the shadows he would protect them.

_Flashback_

"_Hey Tsuki-Chan," the fox rolled over and looked at him waiting for a response, "did you know my parents?"_

_This question had taken her aback as she looked away curling her tail tightly around her. "I could show you the alternative realities of what would have happened in the first twelve years of your life,"_

_Naruto nodded eagerly but slightly cautious to the look in the fox's face. She held out a hand and placed it on his forehead, he gasped as he felt the memories course through his mind, every beating, every harsh stare and comment bearing down on him like lead weights, there were good memories of the Ichiraku, but they were few and far between. In the few seconds it took for him to process this he fell to his knees and wept bitterly at the hate he received from the people he would give his life to protect, Tsuki-Chan sat there and allowed him to wrap his arms around her as she looked on with hollow and almost lifeless eyes, how long they sat there neither could say but Naruto was ever more grateful that he had turned out this way._

_End Flashback_

Inari stood up and his chair fell down from behind him, "Yeah well go do it somewhere else because I don't wanna have to feel sorry for you when you die! It's not like you know what suffering or my life is like, anyway if you died no-one would miss you!" Inari was virtually shouting as he finished.

Naruto's head was bent forwards, bangs beside the side of his head so reminiscent of the Yondaime casting his eyes in a shadow as he replied, "You think you know suffering huh and the worse thing is that when you said no-one would miss me is that it's actually true," Inari looked up as he heard that statement "Were you starved from when you were less than a month old? Do you have a family to come home to," Inari tried to reply but the words got stuck in his throat, "Cast out of an orphanage at three and expected to look after yourself, avoid every beating you had on a daily basis that left you a wreck of gashes and broken bones and left even closer to death on your birthday? Did you have more than a thousand assassination attempts on you before you reached five? The kids also hating you alongside their parents merely because they told them to? Unable to make friends in fear of them being attacked too? Your house not safe from the beatings you get either?" Most people looked close to tears or extremely angry, "Expected to protect those who want you dead?" Naruto slid off his chair and walked towards the door, Tsuki-Chan at his heels as he turned "If you had that fate sealed in you the day you were born and live through that, then you can tell me," he looked at Inari, eyes red and slitted as a lone tear glimmered in the dim light "you had a hard life."

Naruto walked through the door and Tsuki-Chan closed it with her tail. There was silence for a few seconds before Hinata started sniffling and Akamaru climbed into her lap whining softly to comfort her as she cried, Kiba and Kakashi were sending Inari a reasonably large amount of killing intent his way as Tsunami clutched her father for comfort,

"How could they do that to Naruto-chan? He's never hurt anyone!" Hinata cried losing it as she wept freely.

"He was making that up, right?" Inari looked to Kakashi for answers as he received a glare and even more killing intent.

"No," he gritted his teeth "If anything, he was putting it nicely," the looks of horror were expected, "this was his second chance but at what is yet to reveal itself."

"See gaki? There were people in life that got handed a shittier card than you so deal with it, yeah we all know about your father and that's why he was even more determined to finish this mission." Inari looked at the door with a mixture of shame and regret as he saw the full extent as to what the younger boy dealt with, "I'm beginning to wonder if continuing was the right choice." Kiba stood up and went over to Hinata and Akamaru who he led to the quarters they were to stay at temporarily. Tsunami with much less sympathy for her son then she had before. Kakashi cleared up after his students and also retired for the night.

Inari for once looked out to the night sky which lit his face with the radiance of the full moon. _Daddy… what would you do?_

Ok exams are over so I had a chance to write this chapter and I'd like some more reviews cos I'll do more, and I have an idea for another Fan fiction but I'll start it if I get enough opinions. The storyline will be that after the fourth shinobi world war the elemental nations have been reduced to ash as Naruto is watching what was left of his home and precious people burn he feels his life gradually slipping from him and Kyuubi as a last ditch attempt sends them back to before his attack and stop the Kyuubi's destruction of Konoha and the rampaging Kyuubi is completely sealed into the Shinigami's stomach and the Kyuubi from this story is sealed into the Naruto who was in the right timeline and the Naruto and Tsuki-Chan's souls merge with the one from the past and Minato and Kushina survive. It's like this story with an alternate ending but giving way into this new story. Review please. (Man that was effort)

Swirling Fishcake.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

The first rays of sunlight trickled through the canopy of green which obscured the sky as the sun climbed higher into the sky, it's light illuminating a slightly feminine face. The figure was knelt in the grass, picking out herbs and medicinal plants as a bird landed on their shoulder. It trilled quietly as they looked over to the little creature perched on them as it again took off into a barer and better illuminated section of the forest. Looking there, they realised that the cause was a lack of trees and that a little figure lay in the middle of the clearing. They might have been mistaken for a bush as they were well camouflaged beside the mop of blonde and orange. Upon approaching they saw it was the child who had injured Zabuza on their escort mission. Putting the basket of herbs down they extended a hand towards they boy, nearing the throat. They stopped as they felt a kiss of cold metal against their throat, the figures before them puffed out of existence. Turning towards the person behind them slowly Haku saw it was the originals of the kage bunshin that were in the clearing.

"What do you want?" the boy seemed weary as he looked down at the person before him wearing a kimono. The fox stepped out from behind him and sniffed at Haku who extended a hand, she yipped quietly and Naruto withdrew the kunai and returned it to the holster on his thigh

"You shouldn't sleep out here; you'll catch your death of cold." Haku wasn't sending of any hostile feelings "Why are you out so early, young one?" Haku straightened up and reclaimed his basket that Naruto held out.

"I was training," he rubbed an eye as they adjusted to the light "and why were you out so early nii-san?" Naruto didn't detect any lie in the other boy's answer.

"One of my friends is injured," gesturing to the basket "so I'm gathering herbs to heal him."

"Would you like assistance?" the basket was only half full.

"Thank you, young one." Haku bowed but still towered over the figures before him "it is most appreciated." They headed back into the forest where the herbs they sought grew and with the help of shadow clones they were finished quite quickly.

"You know nii-san, Gato's gonna betray you right?" Haku sprang to his feet and prepared to fight the little boy. "He never intends to pay you."

Haku's eyes narrowed slightly "And just how do you know this?" life as a ninja had taught him he couldn't take people's words at face value. Even within his own family. A throb of pain raced through his heart as the images of that betrayal flashed behind his eyes, why he was cast away by his own kin.

A bird fluttered onto Naruto's shoulder "I have my ways and means." The bird suddenly changed; it's beak became a muzzle and it's wings and talons to pawed legs it's feathers to orange fur. The fox grinned wolfishly before dispersing into smoke, Haku's mouth opened slightly as he saw the genius behind the plot. No-one suspects the little bird sitting on the branch to be a spy.

"I see," looking at the four year old with a critical eye "I suppose you have an idea?"

Xxx

"You did _what?!_" Kiba bellowed, Naruto stood there impassively as he removed his earplugs.

"I said that Gato ain't gonna pay the missing Nin so I told them and they wanna negotiate." He wiggled a finger in his ear as Kiba started up his rant again, he was silenced when Kakashi raised a hand. He gestured for the genin to take a seat on the matted floor.

"So Naruto-kun what did they say?" Kakashi watched for any hint of lies.

Naruto picked at the rough fabric he sat on "He said to meet at the end of the week at the bridge." He scratched the back of his head sheepishly as he avoided the glances sent at him by his teammates "well that's tomorrow anyways. I think they would like to aid us, that's what I got off of that fake hunter-nin; Haku but it's Zabuza that I'm unsure of." He clasped his hands nervously in front of him as he fidgeted under his sensei's stern gaze.

"I guess we can go with that," he finally relented and Naruto visibly brightened. "Have you two finished the tree walking exercise?" he turned to the other members of his cell.

"H-hai sensei." Hinata nodded as her bangs framing her face bobbed.

"Hell yeah!" Kiba thrust his fist into the air, Akamaru adding his two cents.

"Really? I heard Akamaru figured it out and had to tell you how to do it." Kiba faltered and went red.

"S-shut up! I could do it on my own if I needed to!" he turned away and looked to Hinata for help who was giggling behind her hand.

"So it _is _true." Naruto smirked at his fuming friend.

"And you will keep it to yourself!" Akamaru looked pretty pleased with himself as he watched his partner bicker with the fox boy.

"Ok guys," the again fell silent and snapped to attention "we'll meet them tomorrow and keep your guard up for any cases of betrayal, Naruto." Naruto sat even straighter. "You're to guard Tazuna today."

"Hai sensei" Naruto stood and he left quickly in a shunshin and a crackle of electricity.

As he approached the bridge Naruto picked up on a conversation between Tazuna and a worker.

"I can't work here anymore, Gato will get us and our families, I'm sorry you should stop now Tazuna." He dropped his hard hat into a crate and walked off. Tazuna watched his retreating back until he noticed Naruto heading towards him.

"Hey Tazuna," he turned and waved vaguely in the direction of the worker. "What was that about?"

Tazuna seemed to age even more as he answered, an invisible weight bringing him down. "My workers are quitting," he clenched his fists in anger as he thought of the pain and desperation Gato had brought by executing the village hero and the direct affect it had on his little Inari. "they think that Gato will destroy them and their family, like he has caged their hope." He sagged into the plastic chair besides him and held a hand over his eyes and massaged the oncoming headache.

"So…" Naruto glanced around at the people who were operating on the scaffolding on the bridge. "You're short on men?" Tazuna didn't bother move but nodded "could we be of any help?"

Tazuna let his hand flop to the side and gave the boy a tired smile "Yeah thanks pipsqueak." It only widened when he saw Naruto send him a death glare almost worthy of an Uchiha.

Naruto poked the pouch on his leg and it rustled before a furred head popped out and stared at him irritably before climbing out of the temporary den. Naruto formed a cross seal and was quickly followed by the fox at his feet and called out his signature jutsu that would one day make him a legend and feared shinobi.

Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!

All of the space on the bridge was suddenly filled with smoke and when the wind blew it away, Tazuna's jaw dropped. A thousand Narutos stood there with an equal number of Tsuki-Chans beside them. The originals turned to him and waved his hand in front of the old geezer's dumbstruck face. "Yeah, that should compensate for the loss of workers." Tazuna was still doing a very good impression of a fish that would put Kisame to shame.

"Y-you how?" he rubbed the fatigue and disbelief from his face as he blinked a few times to convince himself that it wasn't a dream. "Is that…"

"Your new workforce, reporting for duty." The boy gave the head builder a few seconds to digest this. It had been so long since anyone had believed in the revival of this town, it was _ his _town and everyone else's and he looked down at the tenacious shrimp before him and seeing him brought another image, an image of Kaiza who was as close to a son as he could get and his will shone brightly in the boy.

"Ok kid form groups of thirty…" Tazuna proceeded to sort them into platoons of which had specific jobs and roles. The workers found their selves swarmed by hundreds of these blonde children and foxes, a few of them tipping their sake bottles into the waters below before continuing with construction. Sticking to the surfaces of the bridge and other tricks were much more convenient than the machines, it was more than Tazuna could have ever hoped for but by the end of the day the bridge was completely finished. His chest swelling with pride as the sunset cast it's orange hues over the path to freedom, he spied the new additions to the workforce gathering nearby.

He chuckled and headed over to the crowd "Well guys, you did uh… a good job" he was unsure of how to phrase this phenomenal progress as he had expected it to take a few more weeks before he could announce it completed. "You could go now if you want to…" there were collective poofs sounding from each dispelled clone and like they had appeared they disappeared in smoke which left the bridge clear, clear save for one figure and his fox curled up by the side of the bridge, the technique having taken it's toll on him. He sighed and strode over to the boy who did not stir even when prodded with a calloused finger, hardened from long work as a builder and a carpenter. He did not really mind picking up the boy and carrying him in his arms and the fox anchoring itself around his neck like some expensive scarf. He ambled off; his spirit lightened as he glanced back and saw his bridge standing tall and proud seeming to defy all odds. A beacon of hope for his town, _just like you_. He travelled quickly knowing that even though his ambition had been achieved he still had a price on his head and his guard had exhausted himself.

Stepping through the door he closed his quietly behind him and took care not to jostle his passenger in his arms and quickly silenced Tsunami with a hurried wave and pointing gestures to the blonde child. Striding purposefully he passed Kakashi in the hall who raised an eyebrow but made no comment on it, he lay the boy down on the guest futon and tucked him in. Naruto had bunched his little fists into the scruff of Tsuki-Chan's neck and cuddled close to her as a familiar contact in his somewhat empty childhood. Standing up he ruffled Naruto's hair and his face softened into a small smile which seemed to fit perfectly onto the face of one so young. Inari had become even more withdrawn but less hostile and he watched from around the door as he saw his Grandfather tucking the smaller child in so tenderly and felt a twinge of jealousy but then reminded himself that the boy was alone and smiled back at Naruto without bidding himself to do so but quickly scampered away as Tazuna walked to the door who was only fast enough to see Inari's bedroom door close before he headed downstairs.

Kiba was practically prancing around as he made his entrance "We are now masters of tree climbing," he grinned proudly and deflated a little as he failed once again to gain the Jounin's attention and he really irritated by his attitude which was oh so reminiscent of an emo duck-ass Uchiha.

"About time," Kakashi didn't bother to look up as he leafed through his favourite novel that Tsunami kept Inari well away from.

Kiba snarled at that comment so decided to leave it before he could take any more blows to his pride and every Inuzuka was very prideful. "Oi Old guy, where's Naruto?" Hinata seemed to pay more attention upon hearing this and even Akamaru seemed to perk up as he crawled into Tsunami's lap and she dragged her slim fingers through his short white fur.

Tazuna snorted "Eh, he's fine but tired after he finished the bridge for me." There were collective blinks and stares in his direction.

"Say what?"

"He finished the bridge." He was enjoying the reaction he was getting and wished he had a camera, it would have been perfect blackmail but not matter how far Kakashi's jaw fell that damned mask never fell off.

Inari sat at the table, a look of contemplation on his face as he sat at the dinner table that his mother had laid. Akamaru scrambled into Kiba's lap, his tail blurring a mile a minute. Tazuna took his time explaining about how Naruto created hundreds of copies of himself and helped the dwindling numbers of workers that still stuck around.

Kakashi smiled as he closed his visible eye and dropped his favoured book into his lap, "It doesn't look like he'll be waking up tomorrow, he pushed his limit." He watched as Inari strode past them as he mumbled something about going to watch the ocean. "I guess we'll stay until you officially open the bridge to the public then." He disappeared in a puff of smoke to wherever it is he spent his time _not _reading.

Hinata twiddled her fingers nervously as she stole a glance at Kiba, "K-Kiba-kun?" He grunted as an answer as he turned to face her "D-do you t-think we sh-should g-get some rest i-if we're go-going to c-cover for Naruto."

Kiba threw his hands behind his head and smirked to himself. Kiba may be cocky but he knew his limits, "Yeah… don't see why not, we'll need to be at full power if we're gonna complete this kickass mission ne Akamaru?" his canine brother in arms danced on his hind legs as her barked in agreement.

Hinata smiled softly at the Inuzuka duo as she went down the hallway, "Goodn-night Kiba-kun."

Kiba grinned broadly his fangs flashing in the faint moonlight as he entered the room he shared with Naruto, Akamaru trotting faithfully at his heels.

The next morning Naruto was still out and they had packed up and readied their weapons in case Zabuza tried anything. Kiba was rearing to go while Hinata sent nervous glances back at the house as they prepared to depart Kakashi closed his book for once before looking at Tazuna "Maa please look after my student ne? Hopefully we can finish Gato and our mission today." He walked off waving to the mother and son seeing him and his students set off from the doorway, hanging around long enough to see them out of eyesight before going back inside.

Naruto cracked his eyes open, closing them as sunlight assaulted him and rolled over blinking as he felt a weight sliding off of him with a yelp.

Something fluffy slapped him across his face as he turned to look at his fox who was glaring at him irritably. She obviously disliked being woken in such a manner. Tsuki's ears started twitching and she sniffed and the fur on her body stood on end as she pawed at the sliding door and nosed it open as her master stumbled after her. As she slunk downstairs her fur turned to a forest green spread through her body all the way to her creamy underside a white tipped tail.

Her ears twitched as she heard the sound of Naruto's soft footfalls and a crash sounding from the kitchen and didn't flinch as Naruto jumped overhead and peeked around the corner seeing Tsunami being dragged out of the house and Inari crying and apparently having an internal debate.

Naruto held a hand behind his back and made a few quick gestures before sending his partner ahead before seeing a small figure darting out of the house. Naruto followed it and quickly replaced Inari with a block of wood just before the rouge samurai's katana's sliced cleanly through it before their eye's rolled into the back of their heads and fell forwards with senbon protruding from their necks as Tsuki-chan replaced the senbon she had used and put it between her teeth.

Naruto punched Inari's shoulder playfully as he tied the thugs up. "You were very brave Inari, your father would be proud of you." Inari wiped away the tears in his eyes as he squared his shoulders and nodded pulling his signature hat on and waved Naruto off as he jumped onto his partners back who was now large enough to ride and also blended perfectly into the forest as she bounded off, cutting off the chakra to her weights and within moments they were at the front of the completed bridge as Naruto slipped off of Tsuki's back as she changed to a slate grey and her paws muffled the sound of her approach as Naruto headed into the chakra infused mist.

Naruto saw his fox freeze and saw her gesture silently with her tail as he strained his senses, channelling chakra to his eyes activating the Byakugan and his ears were able to make out the near non-existent sound of Zabuza breathing.

Naruto and Tsuki-chan both crouched and on some unspoken signal pounced upon their target who didn't open his eyes until he felt a kunai burying itself into his back and claws surrounded by wind chakra raking itself down his back.

Zabuza's face contorted into a grimace as he gave a low snarl and threw the two from his back and sent the genin sliding across the bridge. Righting their selves Naruto place two fingers on his partners head and sent a pulse of chakra through her and the resulting roar cleared the bridge of the heavy mist.

Kakashi looked up and was confused as to why Zabuza was bleeding from wounds he had not inflicted but sighed in relief when he spotted his smallest student.

Naruto frowned as the self-proclaimed demon glared at him "Oh? You're not willing to negotiate?"

Zabuza's retort was more of a growl than anything "You came armed to the teeth and who's to say you're not lying."

"Are you trying to say that you didn't come armed?"

"…"

"And don't you think I would have eliminated your little ice-user if I was to double cross you?"

"…"

"…That's what I thought…"

_Oh boy there he goes, talking down to A-class criminals, _Kakashi sighed to himself but was surprised when instead of charging at his genin he made a gesture with his hand and the fake hunter-nin appeared next to him seconds later; his demonic ice mirrors reverting back to water revealing Kiba and Akamaru with a few senbon sticking out of pressure points. Kiba quickly yanked them out of himself and his partner as they went and stood by Hinata, defending Tazuna.

Gato and an army of bandits and mercenaries stood opposite of the ninja the short business man stood there with a sickening smirk on his face immensely pleased with himself.

"Oh it seems like the great mist demon isn't much of a demon after all." The bandits guffawed and raised their weapons overhead. "And leave no man alive, but we might have fun with the women." He leered at Hinata who found herself shivering. "Do what you will with the town."

A killing intent that hadn't been felt in years blanketed the bridge making the army back up and press close to each other. The blonde boy's head turned up and they found their selves looking into crimson eyes and a red aura taking the form of a cloak with fox ears and two thrashing tails as he fell to all fours.

Tsuki-chan wasn't a fox she was a cerulean dragon and her slitted eyes shone with righteous fury. Gato squealed like the pig he was and ran to the back of the army while shouting about how his mercenaries would protect him.

They started to charge forwards only to find they were missing limbs as Naruto danced through the unorganised ranks of bandits and Tsuki took to the sky and opened her maw spewing white flames the cries of the tainted souls rang in the ears of those present as two thirds of the mercenaries fell victim to the white flames.

Kakashi felt a huge build-up of chakra and saw the dragon hovering above the sea of white as she let out the chakra in a huge shock wave it passed through team 7 Zabuza and Haku also the villagers who were watching with Inari at the lead.

The mercenaries froze mouths open as ethereal blue beings flew from them as they flew straight into the dragons waiting mouth. The flames disappeared as if they were never there and Tsuki closed her jaws with a snap as the last soul flew into her. The wings folded in on itself as she fell onto her side breathing huge gulps of air as she changed back into a small seemingly harmless kit lying on it's flank panting.

Naruto reappeared behind Gato chakra claw poised at the ready.

**Nice work kit, you did put on quite the show but you still can't control more than over tail of chakra properly.**

Naruto mentally acknowledged his recently quiet tenant and the short greasy business man turned around quaking in fear. "What do you want?! Money? Land? Whatever you want I'll give it to you! Don't kill me!"

Naruto sneered at the pathetic excuse for a human that was reduced to a soiled and snivelling wreck. He was about to finish him off when he felt a weak tug at his leg. He frowned at his companion who disturbed him from spilling the beautiful crimson liquid from the man before him.

He broke off from that train of thought as he felt the primitive urges influencing his better judgement.

"Yip, yip."

He raised an eyebrow and nodded, turning his blood red eyes to Gato "bank details." Gato's face was a picture of relief as he handed over a small leather bound book.

His book left his hand as his head the left his shoulders. Both items were sealed into a scroll before the red chakra receded. As he turned to face them the people of wave burst into applause, they roared their approval as he kept his composure it took all he had to walk straight.

He gave no sign of the fatigue he was feeling as he bent down and plopped Tsuki on his head and headed towards his sensei. Kiba gave an appreciative whistle while Hinata silently beamed at him.

Zabuza looked down at Naruto, not showing it but unnerved that he could do that and not be on his knees and suffering from chakra exhaustion. "Well gaki it seems you were right, we'll be moving on no-"

"Wait," Naruto struggled to keep his voice even "I have a proposition for you."

Zabuza arched a non-existent eyebrow at the business like tone coming from the four year old but remained civil but guff "What's it now."

"Remain in this village and protect it with the other rebels against the Mizukage and we might be able to send Gozu and Meizu back to you. We might also ally you to Konoha if this country gets back on it's feet and if you help start a ninja program."

Zabuza froze, he didn't expect that and Kakashi didn't either.

"Naruto, are you sure? There's nothing to keep him here and-"

"We accept." Zabuza nodded. He knew a good deal when presented with one and he most likely wasn't going to get another deal as good as this in his lifetime. "But we're gonna need funding gaki and I don't suppose you have the answer to that as well."

Naruto nodded acknowledging it a key factor "Don't worry about that." He handed the scroll with Gato's head and book in it to his partner who took off, weights long since deactivated. "She'll be back with what you need."

Tazuna, Hinata and Kiba approached the two missing-nin warily. "So that means you're not gonna try and kill us anymore, right?" Kiba was blunt and to the point as usual.

"Yeah, but how can we trust you?" Kakashi's eye narrowed as he looked for signs of deception.

Zabuza seemed to gain years as he sagged and ran a hand through his hair, "to be honest we're tired of running and watching our back for hunters, this is our best shot at normalcy anyway."

An amber blur skidded to a stop by Naruto who relieved two slips of paper from Tsuki-chan and ruffled her fur affectionately. He handed one to Zabuza who's eyes widened and looked from the check to the boy. "Wow kid, you work fast."

Naruto gave a polite nod before holding the other one out to Tazuna who took it before his eyes lit up comically.

"So many zeroes." He stumbled off in a daze and made his way over to Inari.

Kakashi, seeing as he had little to no say in the goings on decided to wrap things up as they had to leave as soon as the mission was complete. "We'll be going now, I hope to see you holding up your end of the deal. Also if you have enough people you could send a team to our chuunin exams. It could be good political power if you enter those like your assistant here."

As shinobi they had travelled lightly and they had all their possessions on them as they decided to make their move. "Oi," Team seven turned around to find Tazuna and the populace of Nami in general waving at them. "Now would be a good time to officially declare the bridge open, ne?"

Inari ran forward from the crowd and tackled Naruto, nearly knocking him over.

"Naruto, you'll come back and visit right?" Inari's tears flowed freely down his cheeks as he looked to the blonde he saw as a brother.

"Sure," the blonde's smile was genuine but tired as black started to obscure more of his vision. "I'll try to visit 'kay?" Inari nodded and wiped his face as he darted back to his mother's side.

"Hey Jiji." Tazuna hummed as he glanced down at his grandson. "What are we gonna name the bridge?"

Tazuna tapped his chin in an exaggerated thinking pose, "Why not after me?" that statement was met with groans "So cold…"

"I got an idea; The Great Naruto Bridge." Inari looked pleased with himself as he puffed his chest out and basked in the murmurs of approval.

"The Great Naruto Bridge it is then." They watched the figure melt into the horizon, walking into the sunset.

Naruto was struggling to keep up as his vision began to darken and swim, he stumbled and Kakashi turned to him.

"You alright?"

Naruto managed to meet his eyes as he mumbled a quiet "No." as his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

Sorry for the lack of updates but my parents kinda took my laptop and no I won't abandon this story. Haku, Gozu and Meizu are gonna be the genin team for the wave country. And before the chuunin exams I want Naruto to go to Uzushiogakure and pick up some swords I've been toying with the idea of him using. Reviews mean updates and if you don't bother to read past the second bloody paragraph don't leave a shitty comment.

Chibi Out


	8. Chapter 8

Review please and I'll update.

"Naruto!" Kakashi caught his student as he fell forwards, energy spent. "Oh shit."

"Kakashi-sensei?! What's wrong with him?" Kiba was beside his sensei in an instant with Hinata close behind.

Kakashi looked the child over and sighed, running his hand through his hair. "He completely exhausted his chakra and had to keep it together or risk attack with him down."

Kiba screwed his face up with concentration "So they would have attacked and not taken the deal?..."

_What did I do to deserve such a dunce? _Kakashi sighed and cradled the boy in his arms. He felt something nudge his shoulder as he turned to face the large blue reptile staring at him. "What?" Tsuki swung her head and nosed her back before turning to him.

"I think she's offering us a ride." Kiba spoke up as he turned to Hinata. _I feel like such an idiot now._

Kakashi hopped onto the base of her neck with Naruto in his lap Kiba behind him and Hinata behind Kiba.

"Thank y-you Tsuki-chan, this i-is much more efficient." Hinata stroked the scales and was rewarded with a puff of smoke from the dragon's cerulean snout. Tsuki spread her wings as she shot up high into the air and her passengers needed to cling to her back with chakra until she stopped climbing, hundreds of metres above the ground and started to press towards Konoha. The sun was setting before they saw the great walls in the distance.

Kiba gently elbowed Hinata who was dozing quietly as Tsuki began her descent. Kakashi looked up from the little orange book as he slipped it into his pouch. Tapping the scales on the beasts neck Tsuki focused her eyes on him with slightly unnerving clarity and intelligence.

"Land outside the village, we'll need to check in." a cloud of ashy smoke drifted into his face as Tsuki complied bracing her talons for impact.

A cloud of dust was kicked up as she landed, roughly jostling her passenger but Naruto remained blissfully unaware as Kakashi tightened his grip. They slid off her back as she folded her wings and wheezed from the exertion. Ten seconds later she was again a small amber kit again.

Kakashi held Naruto in one arm rather awkwardly as he signed in at the gate while Izumo and Kotetsu looked at their haggard appearance and waved them through.

Kakashi leaned against the wall as his still functioning students stood in front of him awaiting orders.

"You are dismissed for now, I will do the mission report. You guys go home we'll meet up again for training in two days training ground seven." He gave them an eye smile before leaving in a poof of smoke.

"Bye K-kiba-kun." Hinata bowed before taking off to the Hyuuga compound.

"Let's go Akamaru, now we can rub it in Hana's face that we've got a mission higher than one she's probably ever done." Akamaru barked in agreement as they too bounded off.

Kakashi reappeared in an academy classroom where an academy instructor with a scar across the bridge of his nose looked up and saw team seven's sensei with one of his previous students out cold his mother henning went into overdrive.

"Kakashi? What happened? I knew you shouldn't have gone on a C-rank mission! Is Naruto okay?" Kakashi waited for the man to run out of breath before speaking.

"Maa don't worry we ran into a _little_ trouble nothing we couldn't handle." _Technically _Iruka visibly calmed down as Kakashi set Naruto down in the seat next to him.

Iruka felt weight on his head as he reached up and felt fur under his fingers he lifted the kit that was playing with his ponytail out of his hair, "Off." It was stern and she turned away in mock hurt as she plopped down onto the desk.

"I was wondering if he could stay with you until he wakes up, you don't ha-"

"Oh don't worry it's fine." Iruka was happy that the boy he saw as a son would be staying with him if only for a short while. "I'll be done with the students paper's in a few minutes." Kakashi gave him a brief nod as he dug out his favourite piece of literature, Iruka frowned slightly in disapproval.

"Ja" he left in a quick shunshin. Iruka sighed as he sorted the papers away for tomorrow and picked Naruto up and bounded across the rooftops and snorted slightly amused as he realised the kit had hitched a ride in his hair. He landed outside his apartment and rummaged through his pockets looking for his keys before opening the door slightly and disarmed the traps.

Life as a ninja did that to you, it left you paranoid. Experience tells you that nowhere is safe from enemy nin or Tora the cat.

It was that traumatising time that he found Tora the cat on the kitchen counter and an empty fridge and store cupboard that led to him securing the house.

It was the most horrible thing since the Kyuubi attack…

That or the so called 'sexy jutsu' Konohamaru invented.

Well the brunette he transformed into was really cute…

Shame it's only and illusion though…

Iruka shook his head and dragged his head out of the gutter he lay Naruto down on his sofa and retrieved a cover that he draped over the child who quickly curled up into it.

Iruka indulged in a small smile as Tsuki climbed onto Naruto's chest and let him hold her as a kid his age might a teddy. He busied himself cooking as he left a pot simmering on the stove as he began to clean up around the house.

Naruto's eyelids felt heavy but he willed them open as be blinked the lingering haze that was chakra exhaustion away. He was instantly on the alert as he gave an experimental sniff. He relaxed when he found that he was in Iruka tou-san's house he saw Tsuki perched on his chest, acting as a filter for Kyuubi's chakra and pumping it into him after her system absorbed the demonic properties. Her eyes were an interesting shade of red.

Her eyes locked on his as he dragged a hand though her fur as she yipped and licked his cheek.

_You're awake!_ She grinned as her eyes went back to the baby blue that he saw in his own.

"Of course I am, why wouldn't I be?" she feigned anger as she slapped his cheek lightly with her tail.

_You douche, what were you thinking?_ Now he was okay it was all good to lecture him.

"What I didn't see _you_ complaining in the heat of battle." It seemed weird to anyone that a non-Inuzuka was conversing with an animal as he perfectly understood the yips and barks.

_I'm meant to be the animal you're supposed to be responsible even though I'm the one who looks after you. _She stuck out her tongue but as a fox it had little effect.

"Pfft whatever." He swung his legs over the couch and headed into the bedroom Iruka was attacking with a duster.

Iruka looked down as he felt a tug at his trouser legs and grinned at Naruto as he picked him up. Without weights he was easy to balance on his hip and Naruto wrapped his arms around him like a koala.

"An exciting mission I assume?" he critically eyed Naruto's dirty and slightly blood stained clothes.

"You might say that Tou-san." He rested his head on the man's shoulder.

"Bath first." Iruka went into what Naruto fondly called 'Sensei mode' as he left no room for discussion.

"But why?" Naruto whined like…well a four year old. Iruka arched an eyebrow as he walked off and dumped Naruto into the bathroom and turned on the taps and poured bubble bath into the warm water.

"In." Iruka pointed to the bath that Naruto turned away from, crossing his arms over his chest. "Now." Naruto dumped his dirty clothes on the closed toilet lid before with brief concentration he conjured up a pair of fox ears and a tail. It seemed he had mastered the partial transformation that Tsuki had him working on for a while.

"What? No sit, lie down or roll over?" the tail left a line of water as it swayed from side to side.

A pair of symmetrical foxes in the door way, one with red eyes and the other with blue. "You guys get in as well." The blue eyed one jumped in immediately creating a small splash but Iruka sighed as he picked up the other one.

**How dare you? Hands off ningen I am the great- **the red eyed one fell in soon after **Kyuubi no Kitsune… **You really couldn't take someone seriously when they were four inches tall and looked like a drowned rat.

That drowned rat wasn't gonna let that go so Kurama raised a paw and held out five digits between which a water ball formed from the bath water. Swinging it forward the football sized orb hit Iruka full in the face. **Fear my wrath. **The little fox cackled, wow he was even deadly in a water fight. If he went all out he'd probably drown Konoha in a Tsunami though…

Iruka was disturbingly calm as he reached over to his coffee mug and filled it with cold water and dumped it over one of the fox's heads.

The thing was, that it was a pair of blue eyes were glaring at him.

Oh shit.

Tsuki went through hand signs before releasing a miniature Suiryuudan at him with a touch of Hyōton chakra.

Hell on earth began.

Twenty minutes later a now cleaned Naruto Tsuki and Iruka were sitting on the couch just enjoying each other's company while Tsuki tried to lick her fur that was sticking up in all directions. She looked like a walking ball of fluff with eyes.

"Well…" Iruka gave Tsuki a sideways glance "That was an interesting way of using Suiton techniques."

Tsuki raised an eyebrow _want another demo? _Iruka may not speak fox but he got the message loud and clear.

"Iruka tou-san?"

"Yes Naruto?" Iruka looked to his pseudo son.

"Can we go to the festival in two days' time?" Iruka made the mistake of looking into those large blue eyes, Naruto tilted his head slightly. One of his ears falling into his eyes and he clutched his tail to his chest. Fox onesies looked cute on him especially with the whiskers.

"Of course you can." _Sucker. _"If you go for a check-up tomorrow."

"What's that?" Naruto had no idea of what that was but it didn't seem like a good thing if the gleam in Iruka's eye was anything to go by.

"Oh nothing much… just a trip to the hospital." In the corner of his eye he saw Naruto freeze.

"You'll never take me alive!" Naruto darted of into Iruka's bedroom with the chuunin not far behind.

Iruka turned on the light and looked around his modest bedroom and bent down looking under the bed.

Naruto held his breath because if Iruka reached his hand out he would be able to feel him because the henge was only an illusion.

He let out the breath he didn't know he was holding as he saw the chuunin leave the room. He crawled out from under the bed just as he felt a hand pick him up by the scruff of the neck.

"No! That's cheating." He writhed in an attempt to free himself.

"We're ninja, we cheat." Iruka dumped him on the bed as he crossed his arms and huffed, muttering about many inventive ways of getting back at him. Naruto dove under the covers; deliberately taking up as much space as possible until Iruka shoved him over, joining him under the covers. "Night Naruto." He turned the lights off and nearly missed the reply.

"Night tou-san."

Tsuki smiled to herself as she watched this from the doorway as she went to make herself comfortable on the couch.

Naruto cracked his eyes open as he looked outside the window, he wouldn't normally sleep this long, he'd normally be training.

Iruka was gone so he had a chance to break for freedom; no way was he going to the hospital.

Jumping silently to the floor, his steps muffled by the soft and padded foot covering designed like a fox's paw, he made his way to the door. He opened it slowly and stiffened as the scent of the most divine food hit his nose. _Ramen…_

He dropped to all fours and dashed off to the kitchen, he was still nearly silent as his paw clad hands and feet made up for his lack of finesse. His mind screamed danger but he couldn't tear himself away from his ramen. Just a little closer…

"No! You didn't!" Naruto growled at the triumphant Iruka from behind the bars of this… this… kitty carrier?! What the hell man!

"You wouldn't come with me so I had to take desperate measures." Tsuki laughed at him while she gorged herself on _his _ramen!

"Tsuki you traitor! How could you?!"

_Think of it as a lesson, what if Iruka was an enemy? Anyway I was just checking for and tricks and I'm pleased to say I found none._

"I thought we weren't supposed to abandon comrades?" he scowled when Tsuki-chan turned her back to him.

Iruka picked up the carrier and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Naruto backed up to the rear of the cage when he saw the gates of Konoha's hospital. Iruka strode forward and Naruto gathered his wits enough to start formulating a plan of escape.

Iruka walked down the corridor and through the doors guarded by bored medic-nins. Inside there was another medic-nin and Inuzuka Hana.

"Well who's this? Tora is that you?" Hana bent down and peered into the dark cage, not sure of what to make of the orange creature inside it.

"No that's Uzumaki Naruto. He's probably gonna make a break for it so be prepared."

Hana raised an eyebrow at this but then again life as a ninja was pretty strange.

Iruka unlatched the carrier and tensed, nothing happened. Hana kneeled down in front of it and waited. She didn't have to wait for long, a whiskered face popped out and two fox ears scanned the rest of the boy followed. Naruto raised his arms; a standard 'pick me up' signal and Hana complied. She scooped him into her arms and made the mistake of looking him in the eye.

He tilted his head cutely looking at her with those wide blue innocent eyes before he ducked his head and fiddled with his paws. She fell for hook, line and sinker.

She squealed before crushing him in a hug. _Wait for it… wait for it… now!_

Naruto did a quick kawarimi with the other medic-nin and twisted the handle of the door, making a sprint for freedom in three seconds flat. The medic-nin passed out from blood loss while Hana took it upon herself to make sure that particular ninja couldn't have children. Iruka looked to the door and found the shinobi stationed at the door tripping over theirselves trying to reach the window their target had escaped from.

"What are you doing?!" Iruka was furious Naruto was near impossible to track, unless…

"Tsuki-chan?" she sat up from the plastic hospital chair she was lounging on. "Will you?"

She held out a paw and motioned with it, Iruka sighed and dug through his pockets and threw her a pack of chocolate pocky, clapping her paws they disappeared in a puff of smoke and she glowed whitish pink before the glow died down revealing a… pink cat?

It grabbed onto Iruka, Hana and a Haimaru before disappearing in a pink flash (No it's not the Hiraishin but cyber cookies to those who can guess what it is. And I'll update faster.)

When they reappeared they found theirselves looking at the fox clad child.

"Haimaru," the dog barked an affirmative "retrieve." It would be good practice for the dog.

Naruto had already taken off but not before shooting a dirty look at Tsuki who was a fox again.

Haimaru was in hot pursuit but didn't fail to hear what the fox boy yipped at him. _C'mon leave me alone! One canine to another I'm pretty sure you didn't like your shots! _

Haimaru involuntarily shuddered _sorry but mistress' orders._ The dog lunged but missed and was rewarded with a cloud of dust to his face. Shaking his head to clear it he sniffed to dirt covered ground before jumping over a fence he looked through the hole where the fox's scent trail ended but the fence flipped over pushing him straight into the women's section of the hot springs.

He gulped but then again remembered they might not kill him if he played it right so he opened his mouth and let his tongue loll out and took a leaf out of Naruto's book and cocked his head slightly.

The oncoming masses of women were cooing at him instantly and he decided "_If Hana's gonna kill me I'm gonna die happy" _

Hana scowled from the tree she was perched in hand handed Iruka the one hundred ryou.

Three hours and a tajuu kage bunshin later.

It had taken ANBU's intervention to get the boy back and he couldn't help but feel some kinship with Tora as he struggled to get out of Kakashi's grip but he was exhausted and settled for glaring at him and baring his larger than normal canines at him.

Hana held up the needle and tested it before bringing it down on the boy's arm.

Naruto glared at Iruka through watery eyes and rubbed his arm a he pointedly picked at the unnecessary plaster.

"Oh come on it wasn't that bad." They'd been having the same conversation for half an hour.

"But it hurts!" he was ignoring Tsuki for selling him out as well.

"But we're going to that festival you wanted to."

"Fine." Naruto was happy inwardly but he was gonna milk it for all it was worth.

_**He makes me proud. **_Kurama grinned from where he lay on his stomach in the grassy mindscape.

Iruka sat on the sofa and Naruto curled up in his lap with Tsuki at their feet. For that moment in time they looked like a happy if unorthodox family. Not many were this content but Iruka's heart ached when he remembered that it is only temporary.

He looked down at the sleeping blonde, he had a thumb in his mouth and he would normally tease him about it if he didn't look so content. He leaned back on his old sofa and looked out of a window at the Hokage Monument.

_Maybe… I know it's selfish but, maybe something good came out of the Kyuubi attack._

He didn't even bother to change out of his chuunin uniform he just allowed himself to drift off, a small smile tugging at his lips.

It wasn't sunlight that woke Iruka; it was the blonde ball of energy colliding with his stomach did.

He held the grinning child at arm's length as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He squinted at him, eyes adjusting to the light.

"What? Why're you up so early Naru?" setting the boy back down next to him.

"Festival! We're going now!" he stuck his tongue out childishly and darted off to the bathroom where you could hear the sound of running water.

"Wow…" Naruto gazed at the stalls lined up in the main street.

Every year these merchants came to Konoha at this time of year but he hadn't attended it before, he was too young. As mature as he may be he didn't really want to be out and about too much with or without Tsuki.

"Yeah, wow is right. Where do you wanna go?" Iruka glanced at his ex-student.

"I say we go… oh never mind Tsuki-Chan's picked already." He gave a sigh of mock exasperation trudging over to the booth that had you guess the amount of pocky was stacked in a pyramid with the pocky as the prize. Naruto felt sorry for the poor sucker.

Tsuki handed over a few ryou and studied the pyramid for a few seconds. _One hundred and seventy five boxes. _Tsuki gave a self-assured nod .The man gaped as Naruto relayed the message. Five minutes and a storage scroll later they were in front of a fortune telling booth.

"Hey Naruto what about this one?" Naruto looked into it and found himself nodding as he found himself trapped in the fortune teller's gaze.

"Well young man, what may I do for you?" She was an old woman, warts and liver spots adorned her face and her greying hair was wrapped up in purple cloth like a turban with a pink gem on the front which seems to shift colour on the inside and the rest of her was hidden by a navy blue cloak. Her calloused fingers were interlocked in each other as she rested her slightly hairy chin on them.

"Could you use your tarot cards to read the future?" he eyed the worn pack of cards next to the ethereal glowing ball in front of her.

"Most certainly." Her face cracked into a grin that haunted children's nightmares as she extended her hand. A few ryou fell into it and she looked at it and was satisfied with the amount.

Wasting no time she whipped out the cards and before long she had determined three.

"Well now… this is unusual." Iruka was only half paying attention as Naruto paid rapt attention trying to decipher the cards' meaning.

She tapped the first card "This one says that you will lose something or someone close to you." Naruto sent a worried glance in Iruka's direction. "And this one says you will lose something that has become part of you." _Could she mean you? Kurama? _"This last one says that in the not too distant future you will find something or someone that will change everything." Naruto gave a sharp nod as he walked out from under the flaps covering the stall; he was in deep thought about what it could mean. _Trust the cards. _

He shivered and looked back he couldn't see the stall. It was like it wasn't even there.

"What's wrong Naruto?" Iruka could see something was bugging him.

"Nothing tou-san." Naruto could feel Iruka's eyes boring into him "I'm worried about what the cards said." It seemed childish and not unlike a son confiding in their father. Unconditional trust and believing they could fix anything.

"Don't worry it's just a random reading, it doesn't mean anything." He gave him a light albeit comforting pat on the shoulder.

The rest of the day was mainly consisting of fun and games and at the end of the day dinner wasn't necessary.

Tsuki was heading towards the forest when she turned around and saw that Naruto was heading towards Iruka's house.

_Hey, where you going? _She nudged his arm slightly and he looked down at her but something seemed… different.

"Home of course." He turned away and was still heading towards Iruka's apartment.

_But home is that way. _She gestured roughly in the forest's direction.

"No it's not. We're living with Iruka now." He said it as if nothing was going on and just walked slightly faster.

Tsuki narrowed her eyes slightly. _What do you mean? _Her voice was dangerously soft and Naruto seemed to ignore that.

"We're living with Iruka now, there's nothing to it." He made eye contact with her as he said it and watched her reaction.

_No we're not. _She stopped walking and stood still, Naruto went a few more steps before stopping.

"Yes we are fox, let's go." Tsuki's eyes flashed red dangerously as she sat down in the middle of the road.

_And why is that?_

It was Naruto who then narrowed his eyes as he stood a little straighter. "Because I said so."

Tsuki snorted at him _really? Because we are going home __now._ She stood up, clearly expecting him to follow.

"Are you really that selfish?" Tsuki stiffened before looking at him questioningly. "Are you really that mean as to tear me away from the closest thing to family that I have?!" He raised his voice more and more as he got to the end of the sentence. Iruka had already stopped ahead and gave them a little space.

Tsuki looked genuinely hurt when he said this and her ears drooped. _But… what about me?_

Naruto opened and closed his mouth a few times before deciding on what he wanted to say. "You don't count. You're just an animal." It was harsh but in his mind he decided it was true.

_That's all I am to you? _Naruto nodded slowly. _I see… _

"We're going, now." He started to turn back towards Iruka but stopped.

_You have a choice, right now tell me if you want to stay with him or come back with me. _She was hoping that he didn't mean what he said earlier. They'd been together so long, surely…

"No," heart skipped a beat and everything seemed to stop and her blood froze in her veins as everything besides them seemed to stop existing. She clung to the possibility that she had heard wrong but deep down she knew what he said, but she had to make sure.

_W-what did you say? _Her voice broke as did her heart. It felt cold and empty inside and she wanted nothing more than to run away.

"I said no I'm staying with Iruka so let's go!"

_I see, goodbye ningen. _She lunged forwards and her paw sank into his chest without breaking the skin and when it retracted an ethereal fox that glowed and pulsed light yellow and sky blue, was clutched in the appendage.

The boy just stood there, not completely understanding what happened but things felt different. Colours seemed duller and thing sounded more muffled and scents seemed to vanish. Something was missing and he felt it, not sure where but he could feel it. A part of him was just _gone._

_Goodbye. _With that she vanished. It was like she never existed.

"Naruto, you okay?" Iruka crouched down next to him slightly worried.

"Tsuki… she left…" Naruto seemed quite confused by this, it was so easy to forget he was a child.

"Don't worry she'll be back." Naruto gave a half attentive nod as he allowed himself to be led to his new home.

He nearly missed the scroll left on the doorstep until he felt it with his foot. It felt strange for there to be no reprimanding for the lack of attentiveness but he shook it off.

The scroll had his name written on it and when he unravelled it he found that it was for storage. On seal array contained the money he had from all the D-rank missions and his orphan's stipend. The next held clothes and after that weaponry and scrolls.

I never did have much, Naruto mused as he walked into the living room.

"What's that Naruto?" Iruka hadn't seen the scroll before now and was curious.

Naruto rolled it between his palms before handing in over wordlessly. Iruka raised an eyebrow when he read it and went over the sofa where he channelled chakra into the array containing money. What he didn't expect was a large pile of cash to envelop the sofa.

"Well… that's more than I expected." He resealed it into the scroll and took it to the bedroom where he left it in a drawer by the bed.

Naruto changed into light blue pyjamas with a cute walrus hat that fell into his eyes slightly and it looked like it was eating his head. Overall it was cute. Jumping into bed he curled up under the covers trying to sleep. Iruka had gone back into the living room and he could see him reading a book from the gap because the door was slightly ajar.

He tossed and turned and gave a slight frown, he felt that something was missing and, oh yeah Tsuki was gone. It didn't really matter. She'd come back… right?

It took a while but he finally got to sleep. He'd find her tomorrow if she didn't come back.

Swirling Fishcake

Guess what the pink cat was and what the ethereal fox was and I'll update

Chibi Out.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9.

Thanks for the reviews guys and to those who guessed, yes it was mew and good guess for the ethereal fox but not quite, you'll see later. NaruHina is seriously overdone and she always plays the role of the shy stuttering girl who never once approaches Naruto, instead of stalking she should have been training, if she thinks she's useless do something about it and none of my stories I have planned will have that pairing. On with the story. (Oh yeah slight spoilers this chapter for those not up to date with the manga.)

Naruto woke up, listening to the gentle breathing next to him. He frowned slightly, his arm groping for something or someone was missing. Last night's memories came flooding back and he was slightly surprised that she hadn't come back during the night but he shrugged it off.

He was happy to lie there and doze until the chuunin woke up for his normal academy shift.

About half an hour later he felt the chuunin stir besides him and he grinned and prepared to launch himself at the tanned man's stomach. It was an effective wake up call.

Iruka rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and stretched a little, getting the kinks out of his back.

"Morning Naruto, sleep well?" Naruto gave a vigorous nod as he darted of to the bathroom and locked the door. He already had a towel folded up neatly in the small cupboard besides the bath and shower.

When Naruto had finished changing he was wearing small blue ANBU-style trousers with bandaged shins, a black shirt with orange lining and a kunai and a shuriken holster on either thigh.

Iruka was drinking coffee from a mug when Naruto entered the kitchen and he seated himself opposite the school teacher.

Iruka looked up from his coffee when Naruto came in and a frown creased his brow when he saw that the fox hadn't come back yet but made no move to mention it.

Naruto chewed absentmindedly on the toast Iruka had made for him but he couldn't really find his appetite. He was sure that Tsuki would come back during the night but now he'd have to look for her after team training and D-rank missions, maybe Kiba would help.

Tsuki bent over some fuuinjutsu notes as she dipped the tip of her tail in the black ink and drew out the tediously intricate lines and kanji. _The family you could never have, huh? _Tsuki glanced at the picture of a red haired woman giving a very familiar grin in a drawn picture in her old sketchbook. _It seems I will have to rectify that. _It seemed Orochimaru's invasion would serve her some purpose, even if Naruto didn't want her around anymore. Stashing her notes away she sealed off the tree she had inhabited for so many years off from all but her as she made her way to the gates of the forest of death. _We'll see each other sometime soon. _That though was directed to the blonde child she saw leave for his new shared apartment after giving it's original resident a hug.

Naruto let Iruka go as the Academy Instructor took a leisurely walk towards his place of work. Naruto jumped onto the nearest rooftop but stopped when he felt someone watching him. He swivelled his head and found himself unable to tear himself away from the intimidating and beautifully savage Forest of Death, it seemed to call to him. _Home…_

He shook his head and tore himself away from the forest and bounded off to the team seven training grounds.

He perched on a branch above his teammates who were sitting under a tree in their usual training ground. It gave off an aura of tranquillity as the leaves blew in the slight breeze and the scent of grass was strong. A foxy grin split the blonde child's face as he Kiba and Akamaru and he crouched down and prepared to make his entrance.

A blue and black blur rammed into Kiba's side and sent him rolling slightly before coming to a stop with Naruto sitting on Kiba's chest.

"What the hell was that for?" Kiba mock glared at him as Akamaru trotted over, ears swaying.

"Ohayo to you too." Naruto sped off with the doggy duo in hot pursuit as they played the shinobi's version of tag.

Two hours and countless kawarimis later Kakashi decided to show up in his standard puff of smoke.

"Sorry I'm late I-" he stopped talking once he saw his students weren't paying him any attention. Kiba and Akamaru were out of breath, Naruto was poking Kiba with a stick and Hinata was twirling a flower between her fingers.

_Ungrateful brats, _Kakashi scowled_ what do they think I'm doing for two hours every morning? It's hard to come up with those excuses, Obito you truly were a master._

(Elsewhere)

A man in an orange mask was ranting about how great he was and his awesome plan the Tsuki no me to a ginger haired man and a woman with an origami flower in her hair.

He sneezed in mid-sentence and the purpled haired woman whispered to the man with strange purple eyes. "This is Uchiha Madara? He sure is… something."

Obito was glad that at the moment his mask hid his sporadically twitching eyebrow.

(Back with team seven)

Kakashi had finally gained their attention and was about to start directing their training, "Ok you three have a spar, free for all, Akamaru and Tsuk-" Kakashi raised an eyebrow when he noticed that Naruto's loyal vulpine companion wasn't present.

"Naruto where is she?" Naruto looked slightly sad and shrugged, Kiba gave him a sideways glance but nodded when Naruto mouthed 'I'll tell you later'.

Tsuki was no longer in the forest of death and was no longer a fox, she was now a snow white cat and was effortlessly leaping through the trees and in the direction she could hear running water, it was a little bit outside Konoha but it was just what she was looking for.

The river was thick with silver fish and she licked her canines when she saw one jump about the surface and decided to test out the wonder that is chakra strings.

Pulling out a fairly large bucket from… whatever, she created a single clone and hopped onto a stone protruding above the water. As soon as a fish jumped into the air she'd snag it on a chakra string and drag it to her before giving it to the clone with the bucket which rattled as the fish flopped and flailed. An hour later the bucket was full and Tsuki was on her way back before something burst through the bushes.

Tsuki raised an eyebrow, "Tora?" it came out as a meow but the other feline understood it anyway.

_What? _ The ruddy orange cat hissed as it's eyes darted everywhere.

_I owe you a favour run, I'll keep whoever's on your tail distracted. _Tora burst into Gai-like tears as the cat darted off again.

_I love you man! _Tsuki twitched but held the bucket in her teeth and stood up sniffing.

She sprang out of the way as a shadow zipped towards her and she sprang up a tree and leapt away like a bat out of hell. She heard a muffled curse as she lead them away from Tora.

Asuma listened from across the head sets as he heard his students swear and watched them speed off. _Poor cat, it's even adapted to being chased by ninja._ The sounds of tree branches snapping and explosions were sounding of as the occasional cloud of smoke drifted up from the tree line. _The hell? Nah they can handle it._ Poor guys, they had no idea that they had the wrong cat.

Shikamaru dodged another falling branch and made sure not to set off the exploding tags. Chouji and Ino were behind him and he blocked out Ino's rant about 'not looking nice for Sasuke-kun' it was almost sunset and that stupid cat was still leaving behind timed explosive seals and genjutsu branches. I mean, who sells weaponry to cats?!

Tsuki decided to cut them some slack and stopped and hid in a bush that she deliberately rustled. She could sense someone pouncing on her but made no move to dodge. Shikamaru slid into the clearing and examined the cat and took the bucket it had been clinging to. Accidentally spilling the fish out.

Tsuki saw red.

Shikamaru found himself fending off an onslaught of claws and teeth as the enraged white cat tore at his clothes, face and arms with surprising efficiency in it's berserker rage.

Asuma eventually managed to pry the cat off but found his arm littered with scratches.

"What the hell? It's not Tora? Ow! Stop that! What the hell do you want?" The cat pointed to the spilled fish and went back to attacking its captor. "Shika put the fish back in the bucket ."

Shikamaru grumbled under his breath but complied and as soon as he had finished the cat stopped scratching.

Releasing Tsuki she reunited herself with the bucket before tapping it and sealing it into a tattoo under her fur.

"This mission was a complete failure." Chouji was digging through his never ending bag of chips so his voice was slightly muffled.

"How troublesome, my mom's gonna throw a fit about me being late." He looked up and watched the clouds drift through the orange sky.

"Look at my clothes!" Ino screeched as she tugged at her once perfect purple skirt. "Now how am I supposed to impress Sasuke-kun?! Now way am I losing to forehead!" for someone who had no particular talent in genjutsu it was funny to see her eyes light up in near tangible flames.

Asuma took a long drag on his cigarette and let a stream of smoke out with a sigh. "I'll do the mission report, you guys can go home, and same time same place tomorrow." Asuma left in a puff of smoke. Shikamaru idly decided it would be best to start leaving before he had to face any more of his mother's feminine wrath than necessary, women are so troublesome…

Ino walked off in the direction of her clan's compound with Shikamaru and Chouji trailing behind, neither of them were bothered to get stuck listening to her rant about true love. Their clan compounds were actually near to each other.

Shikamaru felt something brush against his leg and he looked down, he was surprised to see the white cat from earlier following him. He nudged Chouji who stopped to stare at it. He bent down and proffered a hand which Tsuki sniffed. She decided to make herself at home on the chubby boy's shoulder and rubbed her face against his cheek.

"Looks like you made a new friend." Shikamaru gave a lazy grin at his friend who scratched behind the white cat's ear, earning a purr of appreciation.

Tsuki looked at Shikamaru, _Lazy, quiet and smart. I think I like this guy. _She leapt easily onto the Nara's shoulder who was slightly surprised as she draped herself around his neck and settled down there.

"Is that so?" Chouji smiled at him as he fished into his pocket for his next packet of crisps and avoided Shikamaru's gaze as he gave him a half-hearted glare.

They were inside the village now and Ino had left as they passed her family flower shop. Chouji waved goodbye to Shikamaru and petted Tsuki on her head as he left for his compound.

Shikamaru grabbed at the cat around his neck and tried to pry it off, he stopped as he felt claws digging into his flesh which retracted as he stopped his valiant yet vain efforts.

Tsuki smirked at Shikamaru as he walked through the door and flinched as a loud voice assaulted her ears.

"Shikamaru! Where have you been?! You are just as bad as that father of yours and Shikaku! Why don't you set a good example to this boy?" Shikamaru heard the rant from a mile away and sighed as he realised he wouldn't get away from the mad woman also known as his mother.

Tsuki shot Shikamaru a questioning look, "You have three seconds to make your escape." Tsuki pointedly ignored him. He shrugged, _It's your funeral, neko. _

A loud squeal hit the cat's ears as she found herself torn from her perch and crushed by someone else's arms.

"Shikamaru! Where did you get this kitty? It's so cute! It's a girl?" Tsuki felt herself being prodded, twisted and examined. At the last comment she thought, _I'll sue you for sexual harassment._

Tsuki twisted to face Shikamaru and sent him a pitiful mew and extended her front paws to him, wrong move as the arms securing her tightened even further.

Shikaku sent an uninterested glance at the feline before closing his eyes. Anything that distracted his wife was a good thing.

Shikamaru slid into the seat beside his father and watched the spectacle. The cat's face was turning an interesting shade of blue, even through the fur.

Yoshino set the cat down that dashed the relative safety of the males' presence.

Temporarily forgetting about the two, she began serving the food as she brought the three loaded plates into the living room.

The two men slouched into their chairs but straightened slightly at irritated glare the woman speared them with.

Shikamaru started eating with a mumble "Itadakimasu." He was aware of a tugging on his leg and looked beneath his wooden table seeing a pair of cat eyes staring back at him.

Keeping an eye on his mother, he picked up a boiled vegetable and quickly flicked it under the table. Shikaku raised an eyebrow at his son but made no move to reprimand him. Tsuki looked at the potato in front of her and frowned. Well there are other uses for Katon jutsu…

With the offending veggie incinerated she decided to eat one of her own fish if the stupid ningen wouldn't give her any real food.

(Ten minutes and a side of vegetables later)

Shikamaru sat on the porch outside of his house, he didn't have anything to do and Asuma wasn't around to play shougi with either.

Clack.

He turned to the board and saw that the opposing side's pawn had made a move and that annoying neko had it's paws resting on the side of the game. He gave a short chuckle and decided to humour the little cat. He was slightly surprised when he saw the cat making another move as soon as he set his own piece down.

After a few minutes of back and forth his mind began to drift and two moves after that.

"Mew."

The cat sat their looking pleased with itself as it's tail danced back and forth and his jaw nearly dropped open when he saw he lost.

To a cat.

Damn.

He sent a glare at the feline who was setting the pieces back into their original positions. She made a seemingly mocking gesture with her paw.

Oh, it is _on._

(two hours and a bruised ego later)

Shikamaru looked down at the board through his fingers and groaned. The cat had won again and brought it to a stalemate three times.

_Silly human. _Tsuki preened has she licked her fur. _You're not gonna beat me anytime soon… telekinesis does help though._

He stood up and stretched, a series of pops coming from his back as he did so. Crouching, he jumped up to his bedroom window and slid it open and ducked through.

The Neko coming through after him didn't really surprise him as he flopped down onto his bed. Shikamaru could feel her weight on his chest but made no move to push her off and combed his fingers through her fur.

"Well then," he felt a bit stupid for speaking out loud but continued anyway. "you got a name?"

He didn't really expect an answer but was surprised when he felt something being pressed into his hand.

Squinting at it, it caught the light and he quickly caught the name engraved into the material.

"Yuki ne?" he was rewarded with a purr for his efforts and fastened the collar around her neck.

He'd deal with this tomorrow, it was to tiring to think about now.

Troublesome neko…

I'm sooo sorry for not updating but I have not given up on this story and happy new year guys. Sorry this one's short. Ja.


End file.
